With Metro rail corporations facing difficulty in procuring minibuses that can be used for feeder services, as has happened with the Delhi Metro of late, the Urban Development Ministry has decided to dole out JNNURM funds for helping corporations to purchase such vehicles.
So far, bus funding under the JNNURM, launched in 2009, was meant for bigger city bus service and Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system. This is for the first time that feeder bus system will also be covered under the second phase of the Centrally-sponsored programme which has been extended till 2013-14.
Sources in the Urban Development Ministry said that given the fact that States are showing interest in constructing Metro railways as a better and efficient public transport facilities, feeder bus systems that aim to provide last-mile connectivity to commuters are the need of the hour.
“This provision has been recently added in the draft guidelines for the funding of buses under the JNNURM wherein 10,000 buses have been proposed across States, particularly hilly States,” the sources added.
The draft guidelines for bus funding projects under the JNNURM propose to cover all cities/towns and notified municipalities. However, the Metro Corporations keen to avail such funds will have to come to us through the State Governments or municipalities, the sources further said.
In fact, in keeping with the demand of the bus manufacturers the Urban Development Ministry had just a few months back altered the specifications for all types of buses including those proposed to be used for feeder services.
In Delhi, the DMRC had proposed buses for feeder services — to be procured in three clusters each of 100 vehicles - to connect several commuter stations with residential colonies in various parts of the city. They were scheduled to begin plying on city roads by November last year. It then fixed the target of March 2013 which too it has missed.
The DMRC operates 120 mini feeder buses on 17 routes across the city connecting about 20 Metro stations. The new buses will operate on 72 approved routes and will originate from 46 Metro stations.