[Watch] 21Heroes2021: Odisha IPS Officer Arun Bothra Felicitated For Transforming Urban Mobility

Bhubaneswar: Managing Director of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) and senior IPS officer Arun Bothra has been felicitated by Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) under its 21Heroes2021 initiative, which recognises those who made a difference to sustainable mobility in 2020 despite the COVID-19 crisis.

“The 21Heroes2021 saw through the despair and used this crisis as a way to not only keep people safe while moving through their cities but also to invest time and resources into transforming urban mobility and combating climate change,” TUMI said in its publication on Thursday.

TUMI also gave a brief profile of Bothra. “Under Arun’s leadership, the public transport sector in Odisha has seen bold changes through the fulfillment of commuter-friendly measures like digital transactions, limitations within buses to sitting-only passengers and the enforcement of a stringent COVID-19 prevention strategy,” TUMI stated.

“On buses, Arun enforced mask-wearing, regularly disinfection and social distancing, thus easing the population’s fears of riding public transport again. Remaining grounded during the pandemic, Arun brought together over 1200 bus drivers and conductors across Odisha state for a virtual training program that lasted a fortnight, using this terrible pause to impart knowledge and skills on topics like safe and fuel-efficient driving practices, customer care, gender sensitivity and good bus maintenance practices,” it added.

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Evolved from the Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Services, the Capital Urban Region Transport (CRUT) came into being in May 2018, with a view to provide state-of-the-art public transport services within Bhubaneswar and its neighbourhood. The popular Mo Bus service with a fleet strength of 200 was rolled out with much fanfare during the Hockey World Cup later that year with Dr Krishan Kumar serving as the organisation’s founding managing director. CRUT has built several bus queue centres and two depots in the city. The Union government has appreciated CRUT’s work for three consecutive years for best practices.