Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), running the Mo Bus service in Odisha’s capital, will offer free rides in its buses during FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in January 2023 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.
According to sources, the Sports Department has asked the CRUT to provide free service to those carrying match tickets in order to generate fervour among sports lovers and create a smooth commuting environment. The CRUT will be conducting a study on how to offer free commuting during the event.
“We are taking steps to allow people with genuine tickets to shuttle in city buses on the day of the match. The Mo Bus shuttle routes may have to be tweaked during the event (or a little before that) to meet the requirements. It is obvious that traffic will increase and so will the footfall of people in city buses. We will plan accordingly,” TOI reported CRUT general manager Dipti Mohapatra as saying.
It is pertinent to mention here that CRUT is set to add 40 more electric buses to its fleet of 242 buses around two weeks before the world cup. The addition of 40 buses will take the anticipated daily ridership to 3 lakhs. The route between Nandankanan and Jayadev Vihar (up to Kalinga Stadium), is expected to record a huge rush as residents from Cuttack are likely to take city buses and use this route for the world cup matches.
‘Mo Bus’ service will also commence in Rourkela in January.
