A fleet of rickety buses at the depot in Ranchi on Wednesday and (above) its dilapidated office that will soon see better days. Pictures by Hardeep Singh

The state’s wobbly public transport system, leaning heavily on an undependable city bus service at present, will soon veer towards a fresh start.

The government is mulling a Jharkhand State Road Transport Corporation complete with better infrastructure and trained manpower to streamline both short distance and long distance travel. A proposal to the effect is being drafted under transport department secretary S.S. Meena and will be presented to his boss minister Champai Soren. The transport minister will forward it for cabinet nod.

“We are working to set up a road transport corporation in the state. Although the project is at a nascent stage, the government has taken the decision to boost public transport. We hope for an approval by this year-end,” Meena told The Telegraph.

The corporation will be entrusted with the task of buying new buses, repairing old ones gathering dust at depots, giving the four divisional headquarters of Ranchi, Jamshepdur, Dhanbad and Dumka a makeover, creating more divisions if necessary and ensuring better pay for its 900-odd employees.

The transport department currently governs the four divisions of Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) in Jharkhand. A total of 45 buses ply in the Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dumka and Dhanbad divisions, besides a few interstate destinations such as Gaya and Patna in Bihar.

Around 900 employees, who were earlier associated with BSRTC, now serve the state transport department. They get a meagre remuneration based on the Fourth Pay Commission recommendations, effective since January 1, 1986.

The cadre division between Bihar and Jharkhand took place in February 28, 2009, after which about 1,100 erstwhile employees of BSRTC were shifted to Jharkhand cadre. Some 200 of them have retired or died in the last two years, leaving 900 who stand to benefit once the corporation comes into being.

Sources said the last time BSRTC bought new buses was in 2003-04. A few of them were sent to Jharkhand depots, but apathy and lack of maintenance took a toll on their condition. Unexpected hiccups, including outsourcing blues, have also plagued the city bus service, which was launched under JNNURM in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad last year.

Private bus operators have taken full advantage of the indisposed state transport system, charging exorbitant rates for different destinations. For instance, if the fixed government fare between Ranchi and Jamshedpur is Rs 70, private operators ask for anything between Rs 90 and 130.

These operators also encroach upon BSRTC facilities at many places. Senior transport department officials said they hoped that the corporation would end this chaos and anarchy.

Jharkhand has also begun the process of ensuring high security registration plates as directed by the Supreme Court. Tenders have been floated to select service providers in all 24 districts of the state. The tamper-proof number plates need to have a patented chromium hologram, laser numbering containing the alpha-numeric identification of both the testing agency and manufacturers and a retro-reflective film bearing a verification inscription “India” at 45 degree inclination.

The characters need to be embossed on the plate for better visibility.