LUCKNOW, INDIA: City residents who wrestle daily with commuting woes may get ready for a pleasant surprise, if a state government plan to adopt the Bangalore pattern of urban transport system materialises. The green signal was given to the proposal at a recent meeting of the Urban Transport Authority here. At the meeting — which private operators attended — it was decided in principle to introduce the system by constituting a separate urban city bus corporation.

In Bangalore, urban transport system runs under a separate, state-owned municipal transport corporation (MTC). The model transport system has three components — the MTC, the transport department and the traffic department. Work of the departments are well-defined. There is hardly any scope for overlapping, and therefore they work in perfect coordination. The Uttar Pradesh transport authority has decided to introduce the system in KAVAL towns and Noida in the first phase.

"In Karnataka, the state government runs city buses. In UP, owing to fund-scarcity, private operators would be roped in," said a senior transport official who added that during discussions with private operators, it was decided to extend plying areas of city buses to development authority limits rather than stick to municipal limits. "If services are to be improved, the scheme should attract private operators. Once plying limit is extended, the offer would be economically viable for private entrepreneurs," said the official.

He said the transport minister who chaired the meeting has directed the department officials to prepare a proposal for the state cabinet for formal approval. "Once buses start plying beyond municipal limits, people residing in colonies developed by the government would also benefit. It would also be more lucrative for private operators," said the official.

Under the plan, setting up of an umbrella organisation for operators is also being considered. It would include government representatives. "The umbrella organisation would coordinate with private operators in solving their problems, chalking out time schedules and distributing profits in equal proportions," the official said. He said the move was to safeguard interests of small operators.

Prior to the meeting, a team of officials, including transport commissioner, MD, UPSRTC and secretary, Urban Transport Authority had visited Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai to study urban transport systems in place there.

However, some transport department officials are skeptical about the plan. "In Bangalore the municipal bus service, the transport department and the traffic department run the system in a coordinated manner. Here the transport commissioner’s office and the UPSRTC lack coordination. Traffic, transport and the proposed urban transport corporation working in perfect coordination is asking for too much," a senior official of the department said.

"We have to first streamline traffic system and improve city roads. Once this is done, the role of each of three components of the new transport system has to be well-defined to avoid overlapping.

Above all, minimal bureaucratic interference should be ensured. If the government is prepared for all this, good days are ahead for city commuters," said the official.

Source: Times of India