Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) added 40 new buses to its electric bus fleet on Thursday.
Minister, Housing & Urban Development Department Krushna Chandra Mahapatra flagged off the buses from Gadakana Depot. “The Odisha Government remains committed to enhancing urban transportation, ensuring eco-friendly and efficient mobility solutions for citizens. This expansion is a significant step towards realising the vision of VIKSIT Odisha and building a greener future With over 3 lakh people relying on this service daily, the addition of more buses will greatly enhance accessibility, convenience, and the overall public transportation network,” he told the media on the occasion.
He further highlighted that 180 of CRUT’s fleet of 560 buses are now electric.
Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, MLA, Ekamra, Principal Secretary, H&UD Department, Usha Padhi,and CRUT Managing Director N Thirumala Naik were present.
THE AMA BUS SERVICE
The Ama Bus service under CRUT currently operates on 106 routes across the Capital Region, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur. With this addition, bus frequency will increase on key routes, including 20, 21, 24/24E, 27, 32, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44, 47, 64 and 82. Consequently, the service schedule will be revised from April 4, 2025, with modifications to certain routes:
- Route 27: Bhubaneswar Railway Station to Bhagwanpur via AIIMS
- Route 40: AIIMS to Sai Mandira (Kesora)
- Route 82: SCB Medical, Cuttack, to Biju Patnaik International Airport
The CRUT release said that the fleet will be further expanded with 100 additional electric buses under the state scheme. “These apart, 400 e-buses will be added under the state PM e-Bus Sewa scheme. State-of-the-art electric depots are currently under construction in Pokhariput, Bhubaneswar and Naraj, Cuttack, with upcoming depots planned in Chhend, Rourkela and Modipara, Sambalpur,” it added.
This comes almost a week after, the CRUT announced to extend the service to eight more cities – Angul, Jharsuguda, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Baripada, Jeypore, Balasore and Rayagada. A decision was also taken to implement an SOP for recruiting and training captains and guides of Ama Buses to ensure adherence of government standards, professionalism and safety.
