Capital to get smart bus stops by November

BHUBANESWAR: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) will have state-of-the art bus queue shelters (BQS) by November. The smart bus stops are part of the Bhubaneswar City Bus Modernisation Project (BCBMP). The State Government is planning to add 200 new buses to its existing fleet ahead of Men’s Hockey World Cup in November. The new buses and BQS will help create a smart look for the State Capital, officials of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) said. 

The officials said the cost of the project will be around `20 crore which will be funded by BSCL. The construction period of the BQS will be three months after signing of the agreement. JSL Lifestyle Limited has been awarded this project. The BQS will be durable and have less maintenance. These bus shelters will also equipped with smart IT solution and networking facility controlled by the Bhubaneswar Operations Centre. Seating arrangements, stainless dustbins, vertical signage posts, back-lit display signage boards with map of Bhubaneswar will also be available at the BQS.

“GPS-based public information system (PIS) mounted on the BQS will show real-time information on buses plying on various routes. The PIS will be linked to the operations centre for better coordination among users (passengers) and operators,” an BSCL official said.“These bus stops will also have stainless steel cycle stand where cyclists can park their bikes and use the city bus,” he said. 

These ultra modern bus stops will have polycarbonate semi transparent roof cover for protection against rough weather. The polycarbonate cover would be firmly fixed with the roof structure pipe to prevent any leakage of water and thermally insulated with high level of fire resistance. The multi-layered roof be would be UV protected.“All electrical fittings used for lighting of panels will be inducted as per the Indian Electrical Standards,” the official added.