50 more pink buses, 31 modern bus stands planned by govt

Patna: Encouraged by the success of the “pink bus” service, the state transport department has decided to add 50 more such buses to strengthen safe and smooth travel for women. The department currently operates 100 pink buses in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and Purnia.

“The department has decided to run 50 additional pink buses in major cities of the state. These buses are being run for women with a view to ensuring their safe and smooth travel,” state transport minister Damadar Rawat said at a press conference here.

Along with expanding women-focused services, Rawat announced a major infrastructure push. He said the department has decided to develop 31 modern bus stands on the lines of NOIDA and Mumbai bus terminals through the PPP model. Cities listed among the proposed locations include Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Darbhanga, Kishanganj, Motihari and Biharsharif, among others.

Transport secretary Raj Kumar said the department is developing a “where is my bus” software tool that will allow passengers to track a bus’s location and know when it is expected to reach its destination. He said it will be implemented within one-and-a-half months. He added that all BSRTC buses already have e-Ticketing Machines (ETM), enabling passengers to buy tickets onboard using digital payment options such as QR code, debit card and credit card.

Raj Kumar also said preparations are underway to introduce strict monitoring of school buses through another software platform currently being developed. He noted that Supreme Court guidelines are not being complied with and said all school-run buses will be registered.

He further said the department will soon purchase 149 AC buses to provide inter-state services, with routes planned between Bihar and Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

On traffic enforcement, Raj Kumar said the department has initiated implementation of an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) under the PPP model to improve road safety, traffic management and electronic enforcement. He said ITMS will strengthen technology-based monitoring, the e-challan system and data-driven decision-making. ITMS will be installed at 500 locations statewide, with 200 sites covered in the first phase and the remainder in the second. A command and control centre will be set up in Patna, while viewing centres will operate in all 38 districts for centralised monitoring, analysis and enforcement of violations. “Bihar will be the first state which will introduce ITMS,” the secretary said.