Waiting for a formal launch,as many as 49 new low-floor buses both AC and non-AC have been lying idle at the Gomti Nagar workshop of UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) for over a month and no one is sure when these will hit the roads. This fleet of buses was bought by the UPSRTC under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),a flagship scheme of Government of India. The corporation will purchase a total of 1,310 buses under the scheme for plying them in seven cities Lucknow,Kanpur,Allahabad,Varanasi,Agra,Meerut and Mathura. For this,the Centre has made Rs 326 crore available to the state government. When asked the reason for keeping these buses lying parked in Lucknow,Sashi Shekhar Singh,Additional Managing Director of UPSRTC,said: Only 49 buses cannot be inaugurated. There should be a sizable number of buses for each of the seven cities. The buses will be inaugurated as soon as possible,but it has not yet been decided when, Singh added. But an official at the workshop said earlier they were informed that Chief Minister Mayawati will inaugurate the buses on September 17. In its preparation,the buses were washed as these had been parked in the open for two months and had gathered dust. But the programme was cancelled at the last moment, the official said. On September 17,Mayawati had laid foundation stone of Kanshiram Green (Eco) Garden which is being built up on the land that became available after the demolition of Lucknow Jail. Sources said over 40 buses,including 20 each for Agra and Kanpur,will also reach the workshop by the end of this month. If the buses remain idle for long,they would require maintenance. But for a few weeks,there wont be any problem, said an official. To decide on the route of these buses,the Centre has appointed a consultant to study the current traffic system in these seven cities. According to Singh,the study is being conducted. Of the 1,310 buses,the government is buying 300 CNG buses each for Lucknow and Kanpur,and 200 CNG buses for Agra. For five other towns,510 diesel buses are being bought,including 150 each for Varanasi,Allahabad and Meerut and 60 for Mathura. Only 35 A/C buses are being bought and all these are for Lucknow. The state government has already signed agreements with Tata Motors,Ashok Leyland and Swaraj Mazda for the supply of these buses. After the new buses will hit the roads,the old buses,which are at present plying in these cities,will be gradually phased out,said an official. The government is moving ahead with the tender process for installation of GPRS in these buses.
