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Rajasthan plans major expansion of bus services

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government has decided to add 11,500 buses to the State Road Transport Corporation’s fleet to bring about qualitative changes in public transport services. Most of the new buses will be introduced in the tribal-dominated regions.

State Transport Minister Mohammed Yunus Khan said while inaugurating the new Regional Transport Office at Pratap Nagar-Bhuwana bypass in Udaipur on Saturday that 190 new buses would be pressed into service in the first phase of the plan by July 10 this year.

Mr. Khan said the bus fare charged in Rajasthan was the lowest in the country despite a steady increase in the petrol and diesel prices.

Besides, transport tax was reduced from 9.06 per cent to 0.20 per cent in this year’s State Budget, while the transport services were being extended to several remote areas.

The Minister pointed out that the reduction in bus fare by 20 per cent for the Scheduled Tribe passengers would help popularise State Transport services in the tribal areas.

The Minister added that the agreements signed recently with Gujarat and Maharashtra for inter-State routes would also promote the government-owned Corporation.

Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, addressing the gathering, said all villages with a population of 500 or more across the State had been linked with roads, while the bus network was being expanded in the cities and concessional passes issued to various categories of passengers.

Regional Transport Officer Mukul Raj said the new office building, constructed at a cost of Rs.35 lakh, had 17 counters, officers’ chambers and facilities for the public.

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