PANAJI
The Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL), tasked with operating the ambitious new transport service plan under the ‘Smart City Mission’ finds itself in the messy quagmire that Panaji’s roads currently are and is unlikely to take off a week before Republic Day on January 19.
The 48 electric buses have already arrived and are in the KTC’s possession, but the State-owned public transporter has several logistical issues to put in place before it is ready to operate the service.
The ambitious new public transport service is planned on seven routes both within Panaji as well as between it and the peripheral suburbs of Bambolim. Dona Paula, St Cruz and Taleigao, was recently notified by the State government’s transport department under the ‘Smart City Mission’.
Under the plan, nearly 57 private bus operators were put on notice that their operational permits will cease from January 19 and all routes would be nationalised and operated by the KTC.
The services is to be operated with 48 new buses – 49-seater large EVs, diesel-powered mini buses (30 seaters), electrical mini buses (26 seater), electrical micro buses (14 seater) and electric buggies (11 seater).
KTC managing director Derrick Pereira Netto, meanwhile, said that the January 19 date mentioned in the notification is theoretically fine but practically, one the ground situation has to be taken into account before launching the service.
“Smart bus shelters and stops are to be installed. Also we have to train the people on the nuances of using this new transport system, including the digital, QR-Coded ticketing,” Pereira Netto said, adding that this will be done by the KTC by deploying volunteers all across the city and the routes.
Citing another reason why the service is unlikely to start on January 19, Pereira Netto said, the roads across the city on the routes notified are dug up for the ongoing smart city work.
“The buses cannot pass through on the roads as they currently are. We will only add more confusion to the traffic flow in the city,” Pereira Netto said, adding that the January 19 date mentioned in the notification is to give notice to the current private bus operators that their operations will have to stop after that date when the new system run by KTC will start.
