244 new buses set to hit roads in Ranchi

Ranchi: To improve the air quality index (AQI) of the city, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) will launch a fleet of 244 new buses under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode and convert over 36 old buses to the compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system so that residents can reduce their dependence on private vehicles for their daily commute. A detailed project report (DPR), outlining the routes of the buses and their frequency, has been prepared through a private firm by the municipal corporation.
Of the new fleet of buses, 10% are likely to be EV (battery-operated) while the remaining would be compliant with the latest pollution control norms. To cut down emissions further, the old diesel buses would be converted to the CNG fuel system, the RMC said.
Talking to TOI, the assistant municipal commissioner of RMC, Jyoti Kumar Singh, said, “The old buses which are still operational will be converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) system. Since diesel prices have increased, this initiative will not only help us save money but will reduce air pollution as many passengers will take a bus instead of several private vehicles. In the initial phase, around 36 old buses will be converted to the CNG mode.”
According to Singh, around 50,000 passengers travel by bus in the city daily but the current number of buses is insufficient for the commuters. Currently, RMC operates 40 buses and 10 are grounded. Earlier, the RMC had roped in a private firm, Tandon Solution, to prepare the DPR for the routes.
“The city bus fleet will be expanded on the routes based on the DPR, which will have a detailed study of the routes, bus requirements and their frequency. Tandon Solution has been working on the DPR since last year and has conducted surveys to ascertain how many passengers use the buses for their daily commute,” Singh said.
According to the DPR, the new buses will play on a route every 10 minutes so that the commuters do not encounter any difficulty in getting public transport.“After the launch of the new buses, departure times will be fixed and the bus operators will be required to adhere to the schedule. Earlier, the departure times were dependent on the number of passengers on a bus.” Singh added.
The current shortage of buses is a major inconvenience for people, particularly students who travel daily and are unable to get a seat. A city bus has a capacity of 52 seats but over 70 passengers travel in a single trip. Neha Kumari, a student of Doranda College, who travels on a bus daily, said, “I have never managed to get a seat because of the crowd. The number of buses is so less. For those who travel frequently, increasing the number of buses would be quite helpful.”