Monorail is the next big thing in Ranchi’s public transportation scenario, but the existing modes of shared transportation seems to have slipped the authorities’ minds. The city bus service, for instance, has always been riddled with hitches, shortage of buses leading the list as of now.
It began with 70 buses, but only 20 odd buses are presently running in the capital now.
“We need around 250 buses for operating efficiently in a city as big as Ranchi, but all we have are 20 buses. As many as 13 more will be joining the roster soon and will run between Tupudana and Kanke. We are restoring 18 other buses right now that will be brought to the streets in due time. That leaves 19 buses, out of which one was destroyed in fire and the rest can never run,” informed Kishore Mantri, proprietor of Kishore Mantri Travels, the firm handling the city bus service in the capital.
This shortage of city buses in hindering plans to extend the service to the rest of the city.
“We wish to expand the coverage areas under the city bus service to stretches burdened with traffic, like Main Road, Purulia Road, and to semi-urban areas like Tatisilwai and Namkom. We intend to provide our services at the railways stations in the city. But shortage of buses has tied our hands,” Mantri said.
To get over this shortage, 50 unused city buses were to be brought in from Jamshedpur and some from Dhanbad, but the process has just begun, said the authorities at RMC.
“We are communicating with transportation authorities in these two districts regarding the acquisition. Few meetings have been held to discuss it and we expect to complete the formalities soon. The buses will be brought in shortly,” stated Deputy Town Commissioner Rajesh Kumar.
The maintenance of these Swaraj Mazda-manufactured buses is a tedious task as the spare parts for the same cannot be found in the state in absence of an authorised dealer. The dealership which sold 150 buses for city bus services in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad closed business long back.
“The spare parts have to be hauled in from Delhi which makes repair and maintenance of these buses difficult and time-taking. The time wasted on waiting for the parts again keeps the buses of the streets for long,” stated Mantri.