BHUBANESWAR : Days after an Ama Bus was charred in fire, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) has decided to phase out and scrap old Bhubaneswar-Puri Transport Service Limited (BPTSL) buses that have covered a distance of over 1.5 lakh km, and replace them with small electric buses.
CRUT officials said a decision to this effect was taken during a high-level committee meeting on operations of ‘Ama Bus Service’, chaired by Housing and Urban Development principal secretary Usha Padhee on Thursday.
“To ensure passenger safety and environmental sustainability, 30 old BPTSL buses that have completed over 1.5 lakh km distance will be scrapped. In their place, small e-buses will be introduced in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to improve safety and last-mile connectivity,” said a CRUT official.
The meeting also finalised a series of measures to ensure safety of road users, passenger-friendly bus service and systematic monitoring of bus operation in the state. In wake of the frequent accidents involving Ama Buses, CRUT officials said the speed limit of these vehicles were closely monitored during the first two weeks of January and no instances of speed violations were reported.
“However, the duration of driver training programmes has been extended from three days to five days to enable more extensive heavy motor vehicle driving practice. Enhanced focus will be on psychometric tests, inhibitors, lane discipline and self-assessment. Simulators will be introduced in training schools for specialised e-bus driving training,” they said.
Public participation in Ama Bus route planning and services will commence from February, allowing citizens to share suggestions and feedback on route changes through social media platforms. To strengthen driver training, e-buses will be provided to the Institutes of Driving Training & Research (IDTRs).
Moreover, multi-charging infrastructure has been planned at Chhatia, Berhampur and Bonai (Sundargarh) to provide charging facilities for private EVs and government vehicles. Public will also be able to access the four-wheeler EV charging facilities at these locations.
Transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur, CRUT managing director Sanjay Biswal, Commissionerate Police officials and other stakeholders were present.