Bhubaneswar: The Odisha transport department has formed a five-member high-level committee to strengthen operational discipline, monitor safety, and improve services of the state-run ‘Ama Bus’ system, officials said Sunday.
The decision follows the death of an autorickshaw driver in an accident involving an Ama Bus, prompting Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to order stricter monitoring.
Housing and urban development principal secretary Usha Padhee will lead the committee, while other members are transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur, Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena, Traffic DCP, and a senior officer of the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), which operates the city buses.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Padhee said the committee will meet every 15 days to review operational performance, safety measures and passenger services, and may convene meetings at any time, if required, to address urgent issues.
She said the driver recruitment process will be further tightened. Newly recruited drivers will undergo vigorous training, and before induction, a mandatory five-day evaluation and testing process will be conducted to assess driving skills, road safety awareness, lane discipline and behavioural standards, Padhee said.
A close watch on overall management will be maintained for the next month to ensure strict compliance with safety and operational norms.
The secretary further said every possible step will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. An investigation into the incident is underway, and accountability will be fixed once the inquiry is completed, she added.
Padhee informed that additional mini buses will be added to the Ama Bus fleet to improve operational efficiency and last-mile connectivity.
Sharing accident data, she informed that from February to December 2025, seven persons lost their lives and 97 were injured in ‘Ama Bus’-related accidents.
