In order to make Ranchi a Smart City, the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD), has directed the Ranchi Smart City Corporation Limited (RSCCL) to prepare a proposal for low floor buses equipped with state of the art facilities for the city. The Department Secretary held a meeting on Thursday with RSSCL officials and ITDP experts regarding the operations of the proposed bus service.
With the number of private vehicles continuously increasing in the State capital, the department has stepped up its efforts to curb traffic jams.
In an attempt to promote public transport system in the city, UDHD Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh has directed RSSCL to prepare a request proposal (RFP) within the next 10 days for starting the bus service. The plan should be made for the next ten years and the option of increasing the number of buses and routes should be kept open.
In the meeting it was also decided that the bus service will be started in the next six months with about 100 such buses which will go up to 150 buses in the next one year.
This service will include the existing 51 buses plying the city’s streets-26 of Ranchi Municipal Corporation and 25 others while efforts will be made to use the big buses for routes on the outskirts of the city.
On the lines of metropolitan cities, there will be a fixed time-table for the buses to reach and depart from a particular stop. Both big and small buses will be operational. On densely populated routes located in the heart of the city like Mahatama Gandhi Marg and Circular Road, smaller battery operated buses will be functional.
It was also decided that all new buses will be installed with both- a GPS system and air conditioners.
The buses will also be equipped with Wi-Fi, a digital passenger counting system and an audio visual announcement system. Both online and offline payment facility will be made available for the service.
As per the directives issued by the Department, RSSCL has decided on some routes which have been made public, Suggestions on the proposed routes are welcome on the Smart City’s Facebook page which will be incorporated in the final plan.
The Secretary has also instructed to form a PMU for the operation of the buses which will prove beneficial for starting a similar service in other cities. Two RFP’s should also be made- one for the agency and the other for ticketing and software.
RSSCL General Manager Rakesh Kumar Nandkioliar and ITDP expert Rajendra Verma were present with other officials for the meeting.