More KSRTC buses for tier II cities

Plans to strengthen public transport under extended JnNURM project

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will introduce as many as 545 buses for tier II cities under the extended Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM).

Speaking at the first UITP India Bus Seminar here on Wednesday, R K Singh, Director, Urban Transport, Union Ministry of Urban Transport, said that 10,000 buses were sanctioned to states under JnNURM, of which only 460 were yet to be launched across the country. He said that according to studies, there had been a rapid growth in the number of commuters by public buses after funding for public transport was launched under JnNURM.

P N Sreenivasachary, Principal Secretary to Transport Department, Karnataka, said the modes of transport were changing with rapid urbanisation. “Despite this, cities do not have a mobility plan. Many also point out various gaps, especially financial, when it comes to public transport. But we also need to start looking at solutions to these gaps by making public transport more efficient, accessible and affordable. We need to have a definite plan for urban mobility, which is an integral part of any urban planing. Presently, we are in the nascent stages of such a planning,” he said.

People hesitate to use public transport because of lack of last-mile connectivity. Adequate investment is a prerequisite for quality transport system, he added.
N Manjunath Prasad, Managing Director, KSRTC, and Anjum Parvez, MD, BMTC, gave presentations about the future plans of the two corporations and highlighted the best practices adopted by them, which have been emulated by several other states.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the seminar, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that Karnataka was yet to receive notification from the Union government on mandatory GPS in all public transport vehicles under the Nirbhaya Fund. The scheme, aimed at ensuring safety for women passengers, is being implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The Rs 1,404-crore project will be introduced in cities with a population of one million or more.

The proposal, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in January this year, entails the setting up of a National Vehicle Security and Tracking System as well as City Command and Control Centers for GPS-based tracking and video recording of incidents in public transport vehicles. The project is scheduled to be completed in two years.