Ranchi, July 5: In a couple of months, city buses will finally roll out in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) today confirmed that orders have already been placed for 90 buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) that would provide the bulwark of city public transport system in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad.

While Jamshedpur is the only city in the state to have a city bus facility run by private operators in addition to three-wheeler autorickshaws, Ranchi and Dhanbad are fully dependent on three-wheeler autorickshaws and rickshaws to ferry passengers.

Insiders revealed that the Union urban development ministry had released funds for procurement of buses for Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad under the JNNURM.

Since the RMC is functioning as the nodal agency for procurement of buses, sources said that the central funds would be placed at the disposal of the state which, in turn, would release the funds on RMC recommendation.

According to the programme, Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad would receive 30 city ride buses each.

“Orders have been placed for 20 buses with Tata Motors and for another 70 buses with Swaraz Mazda. Delivery of the buses are to be made by the respective parties latest by September this year,” RMC deputy chief executive officer Rajesh Kumar Pathak said.

Price bids for city buses were opened by the RMC on May 19 with Volvo Eicher, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and Swaraz Mazda all filing their bids.

The tender committee finally recommended for placement of orders with Tata Motors for 20 buses and with Swaraz Mazda for 70 buses.

Pathak added that during the next two months, all details of the city buses — parking places, bus stops, routes, modes of operation, fares to be charged among others — would be finalised.

He added that for Ranchi, a number of bus stops have already been set up in different areas. These designated bus stops have been provided with proper seating arrangements as well for the benefit of people.

Other details like demarcating routes for three-wheeler autorickshaws, prohibiting autorickshaws more than 10 years old from plying as well as enforcing discipline on the streets would also be chalked out, Pathak added.