Jeypore: City bus service that was launched to boost public transport facility here has lost its purpose with as many as 16 buses out of 20 lying defunct.
Through video conferencing, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated the bus service June 30, 2016. Twenty buses with a seating capacity of 30 each were permitted to run on the Kotpad-Jeypore-Koraput-Sunabeda-Damanjodi route with special fare. Special route charts had also been prepared for providing better service to the commuters.
While a private party had obtained tender to run the services for a period of seven years, the administration formed Jeypore-Koraput-Sunabeda Urban Transport Trust for managing the services.
The sensor technology-based buses are equipped with CCTV cameras and drivers and conductors were given special training not to misbehave with passengers and ensure their safety. A special bus terminal was also constructed here.
However, 16 buses have been standing idle and gathering dust along the National Highway-26 here due to breakdowns for the last few months.
PNN