Citizens of Jagdalpur will see city buses plying on roads from March this year, said Mayor Kiran Dev on Wednesday.
“The process was stuck for sometime because of delay in allocation of funds but soon the buses will be available for commuters,” he said. The city buses are being provided under Pt Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Some buses will also ply between Jagdalpur to Nagarnar, Chitrakot, Tonkapal and Bastar, a senior official said here on Wednesday.
Notably, the Department of Urban Administration had sent a proposal for the city buses which was sanctioned. Now preparations are being made to start the bus service from March in Jagdalpur and nearby town. A total of 10 city buses will be pushed to service in areas under the Jagdalpur Municipal Corporation. Sixteen waiting sheds for commuters will be built. Out of ten buses, two buses will ply between Nagarnar and Chitrakot from Jagdalpur, the official said.
Residents of Jagdalpur gave a mixed reaction to this announcement. While some were delighted to know about the new service whereas others reacted apprehensively questioning the feasibility of the bus service on the narrow roads of the town. Sanjay Bazaar and Gol Bazaar are the areas that suffer from bottlenecks, particularly during office and school hours. Mayor Dev said the buses would reach Jagdalpur by March and service would commence in the same month.