Installation of Global Positioning System (GPS) and CCTV cameras in city buses has proved of little use as there is no control room in the city to monitor these public utility vehicles.
The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) in May, 2013 had sent a proposal of Rs seven crore to the Government of India for better monitoring of the city buses. The proposal had even received a nod from the Centre. However, the sanctioned amount was not given to the RMC as the transport wing of the civic body did not have their own land. The funds would be allotted to the RMC only when they have their own land on which the control room could be constructed.
Even after nine months, the RMC has still does not have land where the control room to monitor city buses could be constructed. This indicates the futility of installation of GPS systems in buses. To begin with, tracking and monitoring devices were installed in 37 buses out of around 100 city buses that ply in the city. But as the RMC does not have a control room, the buses were not being tracked. Hence, the installation of CCTVs and GPS systems were not extended to the remaining buses.
Presently, the bus stand for city buses at Amanaka is built on the land owned by Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) and not RMC. “We have had a meeting with CIDC and have even fixed the rate of the land. We are hoping that the RMC soon gets the land,” said RMC’s city bus in-charge Bl Chandrakar.
However, the bus operators do not see RMC’s statement as a sign of relief. “It is been two years that the RMC promised us to build a control room. The delay is causing several problems. There is no way to track passengers or the routes that the buses ply on,” said bus operator Sunil Chhabda.