Sambalpur, Nov. 4: The city bus service will be extended up to Barpali in Bargarh district and industrial towns of Brajarajnagar and Belpahar in Jharsuguda district, the authorities have decided.

Five new buses will be procured for this purpose.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Western Odisha Urban Transport Service Limited, which is in charge of the city bus service.

"At present, city buses are plying on the Sambalpur-Jharusguda and Sambalpur-Bargarh routes," said Bipin Bhatia, chief executive officer of Paschim Odihsa Paribahan Company (Popco).

"However, the five new buses, which will be procured shortly, will ply on the new routes."

Popco is a private operator, which has partnered with the government to run and manage the city buses.

"Of the five new buses, two will ply on the Sambalpur-Bargarh-Barpali route and the remaining three on the Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Brajarajnagar-Belpahar route," Bhatia said.

Bhatia added that Popco had also proposed to launch bus services on the Sambalpur-Bargarh and Laida-Sambalpur routes. This would be of help to the residents of Bargarh, who intend to catch the Intercity Express.

He also said that they had sent a proposal for four air-conditioned buses to be run in the city routes.

The city bus service began with six buses on January 29 last year. At present, a total of 29 buses are running on 11 routes.

Residents of the area who use the bus service have welcomed the decision to procure five new buses and provide city bus service to Brajarajnagar, Belpahar and Barpali.

"Belpahar and Brajarajnagar are industrial towns. Hundreds of people from these two places come to Sambalpur and Jharsuguda for work on a regular basis," said Rajiv Singh, who is a resident of Jharsuguda.

"Likewise, Barpali is an important town from where a large number of people commute to the district headquarters town every day. These are the people who will benefit greatly once the city bus service begins on these routes."

"The authorities should start bus services on these routes soon. They should also procure a few air-conditioned city buses as well," said Sabya Badhei, a commuter.