A city bus of Dream Team Shahara in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 18: Commuters will get city buses at more frequent intervals on nine routes where people heavily depend on public transport, especially autorickshaws.

The private operator of the city bus service, Dream Team Shahara (DTS), has decided to increase the frequency following a survey conducted by the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University, Ahmedabad, last year and their suggestions.

The routes that have been identified for buses at greater frequency include Rajmahal-Vani Vihar, Rajmahal-CRP Square, Kalpana-Rasulgarh, Baramunda-Rasulgarh, Jayadev Vihar-Patia, Kalpana-Uttara, Baramunda-Kalpana, Master Canteen-Jayadev Vihar and Kalpana-CRP Square.

“We got to know that many people commute on these routes during the peak hours. We are working on the plan and will start it shortly,” said chief executive officer of the DTS Sudhansu Jena.

Sources said the survey revealed that during a single peak-hour period between 9am and 12 noon, over 81,000 people depend on public transports in the city, and of them, around 58,000 people commute on autorickshaws on sharing basis.

While city buses carry around 13,000 passengers daily during this period, private and intercity buses between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar carry another 10,000 people.

The survey also revealed that between Rajmahal and Vani Vihar, five autorickshaws operate from one side every minute.

“If we increase the frequency of bus service on such routes, commuters will prefer city buses to others due to its low cost and better facilities,” said an officer.

To make up, the operator will reduce the number of buses on long routes, where less number of passengers depend on the service, and divert them to these new routes. Besides, there are 45 more buses going to be induced into the existing fleet of 137 buses that include 12 air-conditioned ones. Of the 45 new buses, 15 will be commissioned for two new routes — Bhubaneswar-Jatni and Puri-Konark — while the operator plans to use the remaining buses on these routes to increase the frequency.

The DTS plans to bring down the frequency of buses to the time gap of 10 to 15 minutes.

Commuters have welcomed the decision to increase frequency of buses.

“We are dependent on autorickshaws for short distances. The auto drivers’ arrogance often drives us to pick up quarrel with them. Besides, they harass passengers and overcrowd the vehicles without paying attention to safety,” said Subodh Senapati, a daily commuter.

Kalpana resident Anusuya Sahu said in other cities commuters depended mostly on buses, while autorickshaws operated in the lanes. But here, the city buses were available every 30 minutes and often the waited extended to beyond an hour.

Moreover, the urban development department today approved the automatic fare-revision formula to rationalise fare revision from time to time for city buses run by Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Services Limited. The new formula will replace the old one that had been in force since the inception of the service in October 2010.

Sources said there would be periodic revision of fares subject to a minimum 5 per cent change in fuel price.

However, the government has not spelt out when the new fare would be implemented. Officials of the transport service and the DTS said they had not received any letter from the government and it was only after receiving an official information, they would be able to decide on it.