Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) operated ‘Mo Bus’ service is finally gaining acceptance among the denizens of capital and its suburbs, if data presented by the organisation is to be considered.
According to a press notification issued by CRUT Tuesday, the ‘Mo Bus’ service crossed a daily ridership of 1 lakh October 14, 2019 Monday- less than a year after starting the service.
Monday, a total of 1,01,881 passengers took Mo Bus for their commute.
Since its inception, this was the first time that Mo Bus carried over 1 lakh passengers on a single day. The usual footfall is around 80,000 per day. Its ridership used to be around 70,000 till the month of August. However, after amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act, there was sudden rise in ridership touching around 97,000 passengers September 6 and around 94,000 September 8, CRUT said.
“It is very heartening to see that Mo Bus has been able to retain those commuters. Consumer friendly initiatives such as ‘Freedom Monthly Pass’, ‘Newspaper on Wheels’ and ‘Penalty for ticketless travelers’ have been appreciated by our loyal riders,” spokesperson of CRUT Dipti Mahapatro said.
CRUT currently has a fleet of 200 buses. Over the next two-three months, it plans to expands its network and add another 50 used buses to its fleet after refurbishment – the work for which has started already. Out of 50 buses, 30 are from Cuttack, 10 are from Balasore and another 10 are from Bhubaneswar.
Moreover, as many as 50 electric buses (E-buses) have been sanctioned by the heavy industries department under FAME India scheme phase II for intra-city and intercity operation to give a push to clean mobility in public transportation.
“By achieving this substantial number of ridership, Mo Bus, the public transit service run by CRUT has established itself as a major mass transit facility in the capital region,” CRUT claimed.
It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated the Mo Bus service November 6, 2018.