Ring route bus service is set to spread its wings to different parts of the state capital.

Seven new buses, under the service, are likely to start operations any day after April 20 (see chart).

Road Transport Authority (RTA), Patna, has already cleared the permits for three buses. The other four buses are also likely to be cleared in its next meeting to be held on April 20. All seven buses are non-AC and 32-seaters.

“Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) had applied for permits of seven buses, to be run on three routes under Patna ring route bus service, to the RTA. According to the norms set for clearing permits of city buses, objections were invited from people, including bus operators, for the next 14 days after the application for permits. The 14-day deadline for three buses proposed to run on Gandhi Maidan-Patna City has already passed and those for the remaining buses would also come to an end on April 20 after a meeting. No objections have been received against any of the buses and the authority is likely to give a sanction to seven buses,” an RTA official said.

BSRTC has claimed that it would start operating the buses as soon as the permits are issued. “We have the buses in our possession. We will start the operations as soon as the corresponding permits are issued. However, the fares for the buses have not been finalised yet,” a senior BSRTC officer said.

BSRTC is supposed to run 72 new buses in public-private-partnership mode for which the corporation had invited operators under its subsidy scheme in August, 2011. The 72 new buses would run on eight new routes. These buses would run in addition to the existing 78 (70 non-AC and eight AC) ring route buses that are running on eight routes in Patna.

The ring route bus service covers 120km in the state capital.

Sources said contrary to the existing ring route buses that are solely operated by Eden Transport Private Limited, small size bus operators would provide the new buses.

“I am glad that the new buses would now go to Patna City, but I would like to urge the authorities to start the remaining 65 buses soon,” Kankerbagh resident Rajan Kumar, said.