Patna, May 30: Eight new air-conditioned (AC) buses are set to join the city’s ring route bus service from June 15 with the previously launched 70 non-AC buses.

These AC buses would have 32 seats of which six would be reserved for women and two each for differently abled people and senior citizens.

Shashi Bhushan Rai, in-charge of the Calcutta-based bus service provider Eden Transport, said: “Eight AC buses are expected to start running as part of the ring route bus service from June 15. The tickets would be comparatively higher than the normal buses but I expect it would not exceed a maximum fare of Rs 16.”

Rai added: “Although the route of the proposed AC buses is still not finalised, they are most certain to run in the upscale areas. While four such buses would probably run on route number 7, the Gandhi Maidan-Boring Road route, the route of the remaining four is not yet finalised.”

Chief minister Nitish Kumar had launched the ring route bus service on May 15.

While the citizens welcomed the much-awaited service, the absence of a proper network of bus stops and poor condition of the existing bus sheds, was observed. The Telegraph had reported the issue on May 18.

Bihar State Road Transport Corporation had sent a letter to Patna Municipal Corporation regarding construction of new bus stands. “A letter for the construction of bus stops has been received. The matter is expected to be discussed in the meeting of empowered standing committee of the PMC,” Ramswarath Sinha, chief engineer, PMC, said.

The authorities, meanwhile, are gearing up to improve the existing network of bus stops. “The existing bus sheds would be barricaded and iron bars would be put on the roadsides to prevent encroachment of the bus stops. New bus sheds are also proposed where around 30-40 people could take shelter in case of squalls. The sheds would have the registration number of only those buses that would stop there,” said K.P. Ramaiya, divisional commissioner of Patna.