Bhubaneswar: Employees of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) will now commute via Ama Bus at least twice a week.
This instruction from CRUT managing director (MD) N Thirumala Naik is aimed at providing first-hand insights into the commuter experience for enhancing the services of Ama Bus.
Leading by example, the CRUT MD travelled along with senior officials on two major routes – Route 10 (KIIT Square to Infocity Square) and Route 13 (Trident College to Keshari Talkies) – during peak hours on Wednesday. These routes were selected based on commuters’ feedback.
During the journey, Naik engaged with several passengers to gather direct feedback about their travel experience. The goal of this hands-on approach is to bridge the gap between administrative planning and ground-level realities, ensuring a more responsive and user-centric public transport system. “Understanding the real-time commuter experience is key to building a better, more responsive public transport system. Our team must be in touch with the ground to bring about meaningful change,” he said.
In another surprise inspection earlier in the day, GM (O&M) Sanjay Biswal travelled from CDA-9, Cuttack to Kalarahanga, Bhubaneswar, interacting with passengers and evaluating service conditions.
Under this initiative, CRUT officials have been directed to document commuter interactions, identify service gaps, and submit actionable suggestions. The feedback collected will be evaluated and integrated into ongoing plans for route optimisation, increased frequency, technological upgrades, and overall service improvement under the Ama Bus initiative, a CRUT release said.
A commuter feedback form on the Ama Bus app will also be launched as part of its people-first approach, enabling regular feedback from passengers.
