Patna/Darbhanga, Nov. 4: Residents of Darbhanga, after the popularity of the recently launched ring route bus service in the state capital and Gaya, would now have the opportunity to travel on swanky city buses.

The Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) is likely to launch a fleet of seven buses under the Darbhanga ring route bus service within a week.

“The agreements and respective permits for the seven vehicles under the ring route bus service for Darbhanga have been finalised and most buses have been delivered. Thus, the corporation is likely to launch these buses within a week,” said an official of BSRTC on condition of anonymity.

According to sources, the buses that would ply in Darbhanga are of the latest model, having 32 seats. These buses are equipped with the latest technology, similar to ring route buses in Patna. The vehicles would be operated from the bus depots of the corporation and parking space would be provided by BSRTC.

While the ring route bus service for Darbhanga would be launched with seven buses, a major expansion of the service is also on the cards.

“The corporation has made agreements with operators to run eight more ring route buses in Darbhanga and their permits are still to be issued. These buses would run in addition to the seven,” said the official.

Earlier, with a view to provide convenience and security to commuters at night, the Darbhanga senior superintendent of police, Vikas Vaibhav, had kicked off night city service free of cost on February 20 this year.

Sources said this bus service was primarily supposed to cater to night passengers travelling from Darbhanga railway station to other parts of the city but these only make two trips and connect only a few areas of the city. Thus, most passengers are left at the mercy of the rickshaw drivers, who charge exorbitant fares.

Also, Darbhanga town is divided into two parts — Darbhanga Tower and Laheria Sarai Tower. The former is in the heart of the city and has shopping complexes, the Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU) and the municipal corporation. The latter has administrative offices, stadium and jails.

These autos and rickshaws are the only means of public transport in the town, which are not available during night.

G.S. Rai, a professor at LNMU told The Telegraph: “Ring route services will definitely prove to be a boon for commuters and it will save money and time. But the traffic snarls at different points will pose a challenge before operators to run the service smoothly.”