Bhubaneswar: Housing & Urban Development Minister on Thursday Krushna Chandra Mahapatra visited the head office of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) in Bhubaneswar and reviewed ongoing activities and the progress of urban mobility initiatives in the state.
During his visit, the Minister conducted a detailed review of CRUT’s operations, with particular focus on infrastructure expansion to eight additional towns, depot construction, and implementation of technology-driven services.
CRUT Managing Director N Thirumala Naik briefed the Minister on the status of electric bus depots being developed in Naraj, Pokhariput, Chhend, Rourkela, Haldiapadar, Berhampur, and Sambalpur. He also outlined the proposed expansion of bus services to Keonjhar, Baripada, Angul, and Jharsuguda under the first phase of growth.
The Minister also visited the Command Control Centre, where he reviewed real-time bus tracking and passenger grievance redressal systems linked to Odisha Yatri and CRUT. He praised the integration of digital technologies that facilitate responsive and commuter-friendly operations.
Highlighting revenue protection, he stressed strict measures against ticketless travel. He further recommended the introduction of Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based incentives for bus crew, to be aligned with commuter feedback, to enhance service quality and staff motivation.
He called for compulsory refresher training for all CRUT Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) drivers at the state’s four government driving institutes. He also underscored the importance of behavioural training modules to ensure courteous passenger interactions.
The Minister also reviewed digitalisation initiatives and emphasised the need to increase digital transactions across CRUT services with a target to reach 50% by end of this year.
Several tech-forward interventions were discussed :-
– Expansion of digital passes to more cities
– Introduction of National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC)
– Ticket booking via WhatsApp
– Installation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) on buses
– Deployment of hydrogen fuel cell buses in collaboration with GRIDCO and NTPC
CRUT currently operates 560 Ama Buses—including 180 electric vehicles—across 106 routes serving the Capital Region, Rourkela, Berhampur, and Sambalpur.
