New public transport in Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark; Connection to Cuttack overlooked
Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, Bhubaneswar-Puri, Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Puri - Konark, Roads, highways and Bus stands September 1st. 2010, 10:43amThe following map is from a report in Telegraph.
Following are excerpts from that report.
… The buses, procured by the state government with financial assistance from the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), …
The newly constituted government authority Bhubaneswar-Puri Transport Services Limited (BPTSL) today signed an agreement with local transport agency Dream Team Shahara Services to run the services in the two cities.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), the Orissa State Road Transport Corporation, the Puri-Konark Development Authority and the Puri Municipality are the stakeholders in BPTSL.
While 100 buses are scheduled to ply on six different routes in Bhubaneswar, 25 buses will travel on three routes in Puri.
Of the 100 buses, 50 standard buses with 38 seats each and 50 mini-buses with a seating capacity of 30 passengers will ply between Khurda-Master Canteen; Nandan Kanan-Airport, KIIT-Uttara Chhaka, Dumduma–VSS Nagar, Nuagaon-Phulnakahara and Khandagiri-Sai Temple in Bhubaneswar.
Five standard buses and 20 mini-buses will ply between Beach Road-Konark, Jagannath Temple-Master Canteen, and Jagannath Temple to Konark. The frequency of the buses will vary from 7 to 15 minutes during peak hours and 15 to 30 minutes during non-peak hours. The bus services will be available from 6am to 6pm.
“As per the memorandum of understanding, the state government will provide the BPTSL with infrastructure such as bus terminals at the origin and destination of every route. Planning of bus stops will also be done in a phased manner. Autorickshaw services in Bhubaneswar will not be affected. We have already consulted with the autorickshaw unions of the city in this regard,” housing and urban development secretary Arun Panda said.
Panda said: “The fare slab proposed is on the higher side. The actual fare cannot be more than the slab. We will revise the fare based on the automatic fare revision formula, which is linked to the hike in fuel prices.”
… “Today, we have given BPTSL a cheque for Rs 85 lakh. Another, Rs 2.55 crore will be paid this year. We will also pay BPTSL Rs 2.5 lakh every month towards route charges,” said Nishikanta Mishra, chairman of Dream Team Shahara Services.
Panda said that the buses had been purchased for Rs 17.5 crore. “The state government engaged the Urban Mass Transit Company, which is a government of India undertaking, as the transaction advisor. The Urban Mass Transit Company has prepared the route plan and stoppages after making a comprehensive study on the road network,” he added.
The state’s special secretary, commerce and transport department, has been designated as the chief executive officer of the BPTSL, BMC mayor is the chairman and the chairperson of the Puri Municipality has been made the vice-chairperson.
Following are couple of maps extracted from wikimapia.
Cuttack people are unhappy that there are no connections to Cuttack. I think the state has not been able to convince the appropriate authorities in Delhi that Bhubaneswar-Cuttack is a single metropolitan area. In any case this is a start and hopefully soon there will be additional routes, especially connecting to Cuttack. Two routes that need to be added as soon as possible are:
- Nandankanan to Vidyadharpur via Bidanasi, Barabati, Buxi Bazar, Mangalabag, Ravenshaw
- Phulnakhara to Bidanasi via Badambadi and Alisha Bazar
September 1st, 2010 at 12:09 pm
The bus service in Bhubaneswar was long overdue. Though I am not certain how well it will work out given the way autorickshaw unions function. Moreover, bus services operated by only private operators don’t always work out very well. In fact, I really can’t think of any example in India. The bus services in Bangalore are operated by the state government and it does quite an admirable job. It even has low floor AC Volvo buses that operate from the airport to the city center. But perhaps there are issues of hiring permanent employees by the government which is why it is being outsourced to a private party.
In any case it is a start and let’s hope it works. I am sure more routes will be added in the years to come. Though we must learn from the experience of Blue Line (private) buses in New Delhi. In order to make money (increasing the number of trips per route) many of these buses would drive very rashly and were at one time known as Killer Line buses.
I just did a small calculation and figured out that Dream Team Sahara will make some really good money 😉
Number of routes: 6
Number of passengers per trip/per standard bus + mini bus: 34 (lower bound: half of 38 + 30)
Number of buses in operation: 25 (standard) and 25 (mini). Not the 50 and 50.
Number of trips per day (specific route): 4
Average fare per trip per passenger: Rs 5 (lower bound)
…
You see where this is going.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:11 pm
The timing of operation is 6 AM to 6 PM. But it needs to be extended at least till 9 PM. Because Most of the private companies operate till 7-8 in the evening. Also students do have evening classes. Keeping this in view the timing should be extended.
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:50 pm
The picture shown here resembles somewhat the JNNURM buses plying in KOLKATA,which can be compared with low floor buses in Delhi. The buses in Kolkata which I have noticed have LED route display system and are a little bit wide than the conventional buses. Will these buses have LED route display system? Also will these routes be numbered?
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Also i would request the state government to start such service in Greater Rourkela region too with proper ticketing system. Hundreds of unregulated local buses ply in the region violating safety norms, overloading, charging unusual fares and promoting ticketless travel. At least for the time being ticketing should be made mandatory in all local buses plying in and around Rourkela
SAMPARK City Buses which are run by Rourkela Bus Owners Syndicate used to give tickets but later on were withdrawn due to unsocial elements travelling in buses
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:28 am
I have always avoided regionalism. But there is a strong feeling that Cuttack has lost the glory since a couple of decades. Can we forget the contribution of Cuttack to the gradual upbringing of Odisha. If you evaluate Cuttack at this moment it is none the less than a congregation of villages converted into an urban area except CDA (Abhinaba Bidanasi, Markat Nagar) and Mahanadi Vihar. If someone will analyse the birthplace of so many institutions, it is Cuttack but shifted to Bhubaneswar for no sufficient reason. Doordarshan production centre, Orissa Staff Selection Commissin, PIB state headquarter, so many railway top level offices to name a few. Odisha govt. is always beating the drums of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar twin city. Does it make any justice to the older sibling. Cuttack is just 20 KMs from Bhubaneswar which is no distance if one will compare the intra city distance in other cities. Why state govt. is not giving enough emphasis to develop the area between Nandankanan to Trisulia and building the bridge there across Kathojodi to connect Cuttack alternatively. Why state govt. is not considering to place one of the good central funded institute in between Phulnakhara and Balikuda? I think these steps will bridge the gap between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. If you consider both the cities as twin cities then treat them equally. What is the point not extending the city bus service at least upto Badambadi or Jagatpur (enough space for parking at Transport Nagar beside NH-5).
September 3rd, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Chitta babu,
I would suggest that you post a headline on the websites(orissagrowth, orissalinks) that everyone who supports Vedanta University ‘Like’ the Facebook page of VU.
September 4th, 2010 at 5:33 am
Public transport in the Greater Berhampur Region (GBR) need to be taken up by the state Government. With BBSR and Puri getting this service through the central Government the state govt need to take care of other principal cities like Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela which are not covered under JNNURM. As for GBR, bus services connecting Berhampur-Chatrapur-Gopalpur-Hinjilicut-TaraTarini etc will not only be viable but successful beyond doubt.
September 4th, 2010 at 7:11 am
I wonder why people want the city buses to ply between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. We all know that already there is a bus every 5 minutes or less between the two cities. More frquently than the proposed service. Why this misplaced suggestion….why not crib for buses inside the city of Cuttack instead….?
September 5th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Dear Abhishek
Can u plz update about the current commuting position of Berhampur and adjoining areas?
Buese like Ordinary service,town service auto rickshaws,taxis etC
September 5th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
There is a point in ranjit Babu’s argument. Odisha has been pushing to consider Bhubaneswar and cuttack as a single administrative unit. Therefore, it makes sense if there is no stoppage in Cuttack. per se. When I travel from my home to my office I spend abut 1.5 hours and travel 30 kms. This is a 1.5 times the distance between badambadi in Cuttack and MasterCanteen in BBSR. It essentially reinforces the point that Cuttack is in the same unit as BBSR so, why should it have a different Bus stand ?
September 6th, 2010 at 4:30 am
All people plz join this group on yahoo
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/commuterodisha
Email at : commuterodisha@yahoogroups.com
We can discuss all the problems related to passenger services here
September 6th, 2010 at 4:50 am
Dear Ranjit, there is no point in wondering. Cuttack does not mean Madhupatana square to Badambadi. Don’t you feel Cuttack is badly connected through public transport system. Just try to travel from Badambadi to Master Canteen. You will have to spend 20 minutes at least at link road chowk for nothing. The private buses are not regulated properly and police is openly bribed for these delays.
Second, lets consider the extreme points of Cuttack. 1. Bidyadharpur (CRRI) 2. Jagatpur 3. Choudwar 4. Naraj (Sri Sri University) 5. Trisulia (4 KMs from Nandankan)6. Phulnakhara. If you will consider the reasons for which Cuttack could not grow up properly is poor public transport system along with government apathy. Just travel from Badambadi to these places you can face the music. Some years back the government started to execute these roots but in vain. I strongly feel that these routes should be executed in war footing and integrated with Bhubaneswar city bus service.
I have some suggestions:
1. Extend the Bhubaneswar town bus service upto Trisulia from Nandankanan. (Be practical ignoring the city limits)And Cuttack town bus service could be statred from there.
2. Have a proper city bus terminus at Phulnakhara for the buses plying to both the sides of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar for the in between people. This should be additional service to the non-stop services between the twin cities.
3. Extend all the town bus services to Jagatpur and Choudwar area. Some years back the service was there operated by some Choudwar Municipality buses.
4. Extend all the town bus services up to Naraj and further up to Trisulia which will again integrate the Bubaneswar town bus services and serve the CDA people with an alternative route to the capital.
5. CRRI was established when there was no central institute in Odisha. (Thanks to Gajapati Maharaja Krushnachandra Bhanja Deo for his efforts and vision. We are forgetting him.) The place still not connected by town bus service. This area should be connected immediately and extending the service up to Kandarpur. Just travel from Cuttack to Kandarpur and one can feel the bare need of town bus service.
I would like to welcome comments if I am wrong.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Presently Berhampur city and its adjoining areas are served by around 700 Pvt canters and mini-buses which ply to places like Chatrapur, Gopalpur, Hinjili, Digapahandi, Taratarini etc and originate from different points of Berhampur city. Till few years ago there was a road-train of OSRTC from BAM to Gopalpur-on-sea, but that has stopped. This aside Rickshawas, Auto-Rickshaws and Taxis are available at imp junctions. But, there is no public transport available. The OSRTC had proposed to run its old fleet of buses through the Municipal Corporation, but nothing has happened. So, local transport is at the mercy of pvt sector.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Fine Abhishek , Rourkela has almost the same story with a little deflection. Considering the above problems can u prepare a road map about Berhampur and post it here
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/commuterodisha
September 14th, 2010 at 1:08 am
For Mr. Debi Sarangi –
Sorry for the delay in responding. I have to wonder again because you are suggesting what I have stated… bus service for people inside Cuttack. I fully agree with all your suggestions but we dont really need a town bus service between Bbbsr and Cuttack at this moment. Its surely not the need of the hour.
November 12th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Can anyone please send me the numbers of these buses in different routes in Bhubaneswar ???
Example – 207 – Nandankanan to Airport
306 – KIIT to Uttarachhaka
What are the other numbers with routes
Please revert……