Patna: The bus service between Kargil Chowk and Patna City will start on Thursday on route number 555. This would be the fourth bus service in Patna. Altogether 15 buses of the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) Ltd will hit the roads.

"The inauguration of the bus service will take place at 12.30pm from Patna Sahib railway station. It will be a boon for the residents of Patna City and people of other localities because earlier there was no bus service on this route. We had to work a lot before starting the service and a proper survey was conducted on the route," transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said.

Danapur divisional railway manger (DRM) of the East Central Railway (ECR) Ranjan Prakash Thakur will also be present during the inauguration. The best part of the new bus service is that it would connect three important railway stations, Patna Junction, Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Patna Sahib railway station.

It will also connect Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and tourist spots like Kumhrar Park. The bus service will roll out in the next 10 days and 15 buses would be put into service. The minimum fare of the 32-seater bus will be Rs 5 and the maximum Rs 15.

There would be 15 stops between Kargil Chowk and Patna Sahib station which include Biscomaun Tower, Dakbungalow roundabout, Patna Junction, Chandmari Road, Kankerbagh Colony Mor, Tiwary Bechar, Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Bahadurpur Gumti, NMCH, Kumhrar Park, Dhanki Mor, Zero Mile, Choti Pahari Mor, Tent City Mor and Mangal Talab.

The service started by Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) on three routes in Patna has already become a hit among residents. Started from May 3, 2018, it has collected a revenue of Rs 37,09,997 and the footfall has gone from 4,000 to 24,000 on a daily basis till date.

The service is already functional on three routes, Kargil Chowk to Danapur, Kargil Chowk to All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Kargil Chowk to Patna University. Like other routes, 50 per cent of the seats will be reserved for women passengers apart from a few seats for senior citizen passenger.

The drivers and conductors of these buses are highly trained and they have been specially asked not to overcrowd the bus like other private city buses.