Surat bags best city bus services award for attracting 87 percent of private vehicle users

New Delhi, November 7: Gujarat model is considered as one of the best models that have provided employment, economy, infrastructure and law and order to the state. Therefore, Surat Municipal Corporation has been chosen for the ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ by the Central government on Monday.

 

Notably, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs gave the award to Surat Municipal Corporation for operating the 'best city bus services'. The corporation has bagged the award for attracting 87 percent of a private vehicle and auto-rickshaw users to its buses. Meanwhile, Chittor has been chosen for the 'Commendable Initiative Award' for the city police's initiative for improving road safety.

The awards were announced by the ministry on the concluding day of a three-day Urban Mobility Conference– cum-Exhibition in Hyderabad. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced these awards to promote the best practices in urban transport and these are presented at the annual conference.

BACKGROUND:

Gujarat's Surat, with a population of about 45 lakhs, was heavily dependent on three-wheelers and private vehicles till 2014 when Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) and city buses were made operational. With 275 city buses now operational in the city on 28 routes, 87 percent of those using private vehicles and auto- rickshaws have now shifted to city buses minimising environmental and social adversity issues.

Importantly, Gujarat’s Infrastructural development, economy, transportation and tourism sector has seen a vital growth after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge as the then Chief Minister of state 17 years before.