The Chhattisgarh Government has commenced the process of setting up the Driving Training and Research Institute in the new capital city.
The Government is now looking for an architect to design the buildings of the institute, officials stated.
The Chhattisgarh Government has allocated 20 acres of land for setting up of the facility.
The Centre has released a sum of `17 crore for setting up the institute, officials stated.
State Transport Minister Rajesh Munat informed that the setting up of the institute would facilitate provision of better driving training to the trainees.
The driving training would be imparted to drivers of auto rickshaws, truck, matador, mini bus and bus, he said.
The State Government would sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a prestigious company to train drivers, he stated.
Meanwhile, the State Government has also decided to open a Motor Inspection and Verification Centre at the Transport Office situated at Raipur-Bilaspur route.
A sum of `14 crore has been allotted for the purpose.
Munat had earlier informed that an Advisor for the Centre would be appointed soon on behalf of the Central Government.
A Gurgaon based agency had been roped in to manage the Centre set up. The State Government will soon sign a MoU with the agency. The role of Centre would be to inspect the fitness level of auto rickshaws, truck, mini-bus, bus and other heavy vehicles and then provide the report.
Notably, Naya Raipur is also among five other cities in the country chosen as ‘Demonstration Cities’ for the Centre’s ambitious Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP).
The final five cities participating as 'Demonstration Cities' under Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP) are - Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Mysore (Karnataka), Naya Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad (Maharashtra).
Detailed project profiles were prepared by all cities with the assistance of the SUTP Consultants and then endorsed by the SUTP Steering Committee to be included to SUTP as ‘City Demonstration Projects’, officials stated.
Notably, the Naya Raipur Mass Transport ltd (NRMTl) is in the process of developing a total of three BRTS corridors covering a total of 40 kms with exclusive ‘Right of Way’ with the possibility of mixed route extension.
NRMTl established to act as a Special Purpose Vehicle to carry out the objectives of building, constructing and developing public transport system has proposed to develop the BRTS with private sector participation, officials stated.
The Corridor-I would be of 25 kms from Raipur Railway Station till Capitol Complex in Naya Raipur.
The Corridor-III would be of 17.8 kms within Naya Raipur.
Munat in July this year had asked officials to develop an action plan for a bus Transit System even for old Raipur.
The Raipur Bus Transit System should comprise a plan to connect the Raipur Bus Stand and Airport with Naya Raipur he had stated while chairing a meeting to review progress of work of Raipur Development Authority (RDA).
It may be recalled that the State government has also created ‘Urban Traffic Fund’ and the management of the same will be in the hands of respective PTS in the State.
The money in the fund will be provided from the interest received by concerned Municipal Corporation on the funds received for development works.
Raipur received a fund of `20 lakh, Durg-Bhilai `25 lakh, Bilaspur `20 lakh while Rajnandgaon, Korba, Raigarh, Ambikapur, Chirmiri and Jagdalpur have been allocated Rs 15 lakh each, officials stated.
From the fund, expenses like stationary, electricity, telephone expenses etc will be met.
However, the salary of the officers and employees will be paid by the concerned Municipal Corporation.
In June last year, the State government had constituted nine Public Transport Societies (PTS) for operation of city bus services in nine major cities and towns.
Funds to the tune of `1.60 crore have been allocated to these societies for the purpose.
According to official sources, the societies have been constituted for Raipur, Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur, Rajnandgaon, Korba, Raigarh, Ambikapur, Chirmiri and Jagdalpur.