Bhubaneswar: 'Mo Bus' Service, which was launched as a part of state government-owned Capital Region Urban Transport’s (CRUT) ‘City Bus Modernisation’ programme last year, has been adjudged the Best City Bus Service Project by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. The Award was conferred on CRUT by the Ministry on the occasion of 12th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference-cum-Expo 2019 at Lucknow, UP.
Speaking at the event on the success of Mo Bus, Managing Director of CRUT, Arun Bothra said, “Mo Bus has touched remarkable feat of one lakh ridership in less than one year of operation. On an average, Mo Bus has around 85000 footfall consistently every day. We need buses not metros in smaller cities. Metro should be made in big cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi only.”
Bothra further highlighted the consumer friendly initiatives like ‘Freedom Monthly Pass’, ‘Newspaper on Wheels’ and installation of maps and route numbers at Bus Queue Shelters (BQS) which have been appreciated by riders.
On the other hand, Surendra Kumar Bagde, General Manager, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said, "All State transport undertakings should learn from CRUT. Odisha was heavily affected by Cyclone Fani, and in spite of the damages caused, CRUT has achieved the one lakh ridership."
CRUT rolled out its new buses under the brand name of 'Mo Bus' on November 6, 2018 to provide reliable and safe transportation connecting neighbourhoods. It's Bhubaneswar City Bus Modernisation Project is an example of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative towards reviving public transport system within the city limits. The project is a boost to people's confidence in the use of affordable intra city services offering potential to relieve congestion and timely mobility to commuters. The project also includes holistic planning in integrating public bicycle along with e-rickshaws that are to be introduced for last mile connectivity.