The Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) is all set to operate city service buses offering an economic mode of transport to the denizens to travel within the city. Electric buses are being roped into the service and will be operated in four different routes. Around 20 vehicles will be used for the purpose and the civic body is now on the job of preparing Detailed Project Report to introduce the city bus service.
“The new service will come under the Smart City initiative. It is aimed at providing pollution-free commute to people at affordable fares. Once the project gets the clearance, the Central government will release the funds for procuring the electric buses,” says K. Ramesh, Commissioner of the KMC.
Being the district headquarters, Kakinada lacks public transportation forcing people to depend solely on the auto-rickshaws to commute within the city. Along with people coming from faraway places, the local residents who do not afford own vehicles too are availing the services of the three-wheelers, which, of late, turned costlier, owing to the spiralling prices of the fuel.
According to the transport department, over 7,000 autorickshaws are being operated in the city, which are in addition to another 3,000 three-wheelers from the other parts of the district that bring in commuters from the neighbouring towns and villages. Frequent traffic chaos on the city roads coupled with non-uniformity of fares is the major complaint from the public against this mode of transportation. As many as 42 autorickshaw unions are dictating terms and conditions for the three-wheelers.
‘Long-pending demand’
“There is a long-pending demand from the public that the city requires city bus service. Since we have already developed Smart Roads and air-conditioned bus shelters under the Smart City initiative, it will be easier for us to operate the bus services in the city,” explains Mr. Ramesh.
Representatives of the autorickshaw unions, however, seemed to have adopted a wait and watch approach and preferred not to comment over the development. “Even if they operate the city buses, they can’t drop the commuters at their doorsteps, right?” asks leader of a union in an ‘of the record’ chat.
