Patna, May 15: The launch of the 70-strong fleet of buses by chief minister Nitish Kumar today partially addressed the long pent-up frustration of commuters about the public transport facilities in the city.

Most commuters claimed that the public transport in the city was pathetic till the new buses hit the streets. As a result, most commuters preferred to travel in autorickshaws or other vehicles, giving buses a miss.

But all these are set to be history, courtesy the fleet launched today at Samvad Bhavan. Bihar State Transport Corporation and Eden Transport, Calcutta, would operate the buses on a public-private mode.

While inaugurating the service, Nitish said: “Maintenance of this service is very important. The department must ensure that the service is not affected at any cost. I will see to it personally.

“Public transport will play a very important role in the coming days as the price of petrol has increased. The price of diesel and LPG is also likely to increase. Our government will try to make public transport as cheap as possible,” he said.

The minimum fare on these buses is Rs 5, the maximum Rs 10. Each bus has 32 seats. They also have closed- circuit TV cameras and global positioning system as security measures.

Special buses with pink stripes will carry only female passengers.

Nitish also liked the concept of giving buses on each route a different colour.

“I really like the colour of the buses. Most people have appreciated it. It is the responsibility of the private company and the transport department to ensure that the buses do not get discoloured,” said Nitish.

Transport minister Brishen Patel said: “That day is not far when all the districts of Bihar would be connected by Volvo bus service, and the district residents, too, would be able to avail of this service.”

There is more good news for the passengers: in two week’s time, eight air-conditioned buses will join the fleet. The fare on these buses would be double, though.

Passengers were all praise for the bus service.

Anurag Tiwari, a regular passenger, said: “We must congratulate the state government for introducing this service, where tickets will be generated through an electronic machine. Earlier, the conductor used to take the money without any receipt.”

“We are fed up with the present bus service. We are forcing ourselves to travel by these buses. But the new service will bring some relief to people like us, who travel to far-off places like Phulwarisharif and Danapur,” said Munna Prasad, a resident of Lodhipur.

Prasad was spot on. This correspondent experienced it today when he took a bus ride from Gandhi Maidan to Patna Junction for reality check.

To begin with, the conductor kept taking more passengers though the bus was overloaded and most passengers were forced to stand. The bus was so crowded that many passengers found themselves hanging out, holding onto bars and handles for dear life.

Rajiv Ranjan, a student of KVS, Bailey Road, said: “The buses have no space most of the time. We are continuously pushed by passengers behind us.”

Even those who were seated were not comfortable, as the space was cramped and the passengers were forced to keep their legs folded to prevent altercations with their fellow travellers. Many were also seated on the engine box beside the driver. Most of them said that the bumpy bus ride was not worth the fare.

“The conductor misbehaves with us. Also, they often shout at us for not having the exact change for the fare,” said Sabzibagh resident Nur Fatima. She added that she was happy that the new bus service would provide separate vehicles for ladies.

Neither the bus driver, nor the conductor was wearing any uniform. In fact, the bus driver was sporting just a vest.

Private operators under the guidance of the state government operate most of the buses on the city streets. Most of the buses, almost 15 to 20 years old, flout the rules.