Bhubaneswar: Housing & Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Wednesday flagged off 12 new electric buses of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal (BSABT) in Odisha capital.
The minister also inaugurated automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs), which have been set up at BSABT, Master Canteen, OD Terminal and Puri Bus Stand. He also announced introduction of two new routes (65 & 66), connecting Master Canteen with Wonder La Water Park- Khurda New Bus Stand and Bhubaneswar airport with Pathargadia/KISS College via Master Canteen.
“This expansion symbolises our commitment for building a sustainable future under Vikshit Odisha vision. Of 475 buses, 95 electric buses are now operating on 97 routes. The ATVMs located at strategically chosen locations will facilitate seamless ticketing for Mo Bus passengers,” he told reporters.
The ATVMs are equipped with advanced features to issue tickets with a variety of payment methods, including cash, UPI and coins and provide detailed route information.
Mohapatra also unveiled the logo of “Odisha Yatri” and inaugurated a kiosk at BSABT for drivers’ registration and passenger assistance during his visit. “Odisha Yatri app aimed at both empowering drivers and improving customer experiences. The app will operate on zero commission. CRUT is first service provider to obtain aggregator licence in Odisha,” he informed.
An MoU has been signed between CRUT, Moving Tech (the parent company of Namma Yatri), ONDC and Odisha Road Safety Society (ORSS) for implementation of this project.