The largesse from the JNNURM is in good flow. Since January this year, the ministry of urban development has sanctioned Rs 4,726 crore for procurement of 14,240 buses in 59 cities. Out of this 4,494 are standard buses 1,170 are mini-buses and the rest are low-floor and other variations of urban buses. The central assistance is Rs 1,630 crore.

This slew of sanctions labelled as Part II of NURM is certainly music for the ears of the automobile industry. Unlike Part I of NURM which is contingent upon many organisational and financial reforms as well as significant changes in the processes of decision-making at the city level, Part II is a more honest and quicker way of reaching funds to the cities.

However, no money from the government can be free of strings. In this case also the ministry has issued as many as 30 guidelines. Most of them are universally advocated prescriptions like priority for public transport, passenger-friendly buses, better route administration, dedicated metropolitan transport funds, etc. There is also a set of specifications for urban buses. The norms and costs may need scrutiny but it is good the government recognises that benches and a metal roof stuck on a truck chassis is not to be regarded as a passenger bus.

Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Comments--Analysis/A-bus-to-nowhere/articleshow/4424172.cms

Source: The Economic Times (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com)