City bus hope for Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: BDA and Local Authorities of Berhampur are planning to introduce a city bus service from the city to Gopalpur and Chhatrapur under public-private-partnership mode. “Though mini buses ply on both the Berhampur-Gopalpur and Berhampur-Chhatrapur routes, we propose to introduce a city bus service to these two places because of public demand,” said secretary of the Berhampur Development Authority Saran Kumar Jena. “We have engaged a consulting agency to make a detailed survey on the prospects and the possibilities of plying city buses on these two routes. The survey will take various factors, such as population, number of commuters travelling between these places and the number of autorickshaws and other vehicles in the area, into consideration. The survey, which was launched by the consulting agency two months ago, is in its final stages now,” Jena said. The consulting agency is expected to submit its preliminary report on May 14. The proposal will then be discussed with all stakeholders of the town, including local legislators, sub-collector, representatives of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation and others. District collector Ganjam Kishan Kumar has convened a meeting on May 10 for preliminary discussions on the proposed city bus service and various other development initiatives. “The mini buses, which are plying on these two routes at present, are insufficient. Though the capacity of a mini bus is 20, most of these vehicles ply with about 35 passengers. Introduction of city buses in these two routes will be of immense benefit to the commuters,” said Sudhir Das, who travels to Gopalpur from Berhampur everyday. However, Nagen Kumar Padhi, vice-president of the Berhampur Trekkers’ and Taxi Owners’ Association, is worried over the proposal to introduce the bus service. “It will affect our interests. We should be consulted on the matter,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph