City buses on the BSRTC campus in Gaya. Picture by Suman

The city bus service in Gaya has hit roadblocks within a year of its launch.

Operation on most of the routes has failed to take off. Service on one of the three existing routes has been suspended over the past fortnight.

The private operator, Royal Service, launched buses on the three routes on September 12 last year. Tourism minister Brishen Patel inaugurated the service.

The first route was from Gaya railway station to Bodhgaya via military cantonment and Magadh University; second from Gaya railway station to Bodhgaya via the Gaya collectorate and Kendui (Gaya-Bodhgaya riverside road); and the third from Gaya to Tekari that starts from the Delha locality.

The bus service from Gaya station to Bodhgaya via collectorate was suspended a fortnight ago.

Gaya in-charge for Royal Service Jayant Kumar told The Telegraph: “The two buses plying on this route have developed some technical problems. They have been sent to the garage for repairs. Service on this route will resume by the first week of September.”

The bus service remains available from 6am to 6pm. At least 40 passengers board a bus on each trip.

Twenty mini Marcopolo buses were supposed to operate on the seven routes in Gaya. But nine were shifted to other places.

At present, four buses ply on the Gaya-Bodhgaya via military cantonment route, while five buses operate on the Gaya-Tekari route.

Jayant said the Gaya-Bodhgaya bus service via collectorate and Kendui would be started with adjustments on the other routes.

Four proposed routes have remained a non-starter. Three were to originate from the Gaya railway station and go to Sherghati via Cherki and Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital; to Goh in Aurangabad district; and to Pai Bigha (on the Gaya-Patna route) via Makhdumpur. The fourth was proposed to start from Manpur on the eastern end of Gaya and go to Bodhgaya via Kendui.