City''s smart bus to run from Thursday

Aurangabad, Nov 1:

The smart bus service, which was closed since March due to corona outbreak, will be re-launched on November 5. The bus service will start with new routes connecting the city to other parts of the district.

Considering the need for public transport in the city, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) started city bus service through Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation. A hundred buses were procured for the service. The city bus service launched under the name of smart bus received a good response from the citizens. However, since March, the bus service has been suspended due to coronavirus. "After an eight-month hiatus, buses will now start plying with new routes from November 5," said Prashant Bhusari, chief manager, smart city bus. In the first phase, buses will run on 9 routes. It will include four new routes. These routes will also serve passengers up to the outskirts of the city.

City bus route

The bus service will run from Cidco to the railway station via TV Center, Aurangpura-Waluj-Aurangpura. In the first phase, Shivajinagar, Cidco to Jogeshwari, Chikalthana to Ranjangaon, Central Bus Stand (CBS) to Phulambri, CBS to Bidkin, CBS to Karmad and CBS to Ellora. In all, 26 buses will be started in the second phase and 28 in the third phase. This bus service will be available for the citizens from 5 am to 11 pm.

Schedule via app

Along with the new routes, the vehicle tracking app will be launched for the citizens. Through the mobile app, passengers will be able to know the full schedule, location of smart city buses and the arrival of buses at specific stops. An e-ticket system will be adopted for the bus service. Apart from this, smart travel cards will also be given to the passengers.

Take care of the passengers

Special care will be taken of the passengers during the service on the backdrop of Covid-19. Audio clips will be played in buses on preventive measures for corona. Inside the bus, a Covid prevention message will be displayed on a digital display board. Buses will be cleaned after each round.