316 buses to be added to HRTC fleet: Bali

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has added 1,300 buses to its fleet during the last three years, and 316 more buses would be added to its fleet, Transport Minister G S Bali said today.
HRTC also added 16 luxury buses and started super-luxury bus services between Manali-Jaipur, Shimla-Katra and Shimla-Hardwar, he said.
These buses have been equipped with GPS, CCTV and passengers information system and the government is trying to connect all the pilgrimage and historic places of the state with major towns by luxury bus services, Bali said.
He said during the last three years, 365 news bus routes have been added and online booking for all types of buses, operating from Shimla, Delhi, Manali, Chamba, Dharmashala, Kangra, Baijnath, Palampur, Mcleodganj, Hamirpur, Hardwar and Chandigarh, has been started.

With a view to strength the financial condition of HRTC, the corporation has also introduced taxi services in Shimla, he said.
Bali said the corporation has initiated the process to introduce CNG buses for tourists on Manali-Rohtang routes.

"To provide free travel or concessional bus services to school/college students, government employees, persons with special abilities, police personnel, jail wardens and others, the government would be spending over Rs 110 crore for the project," he said.
Himachal Pradesh has a road networkof 37,000 km and has 2,700 strong fleet of buses,including 72 luxury and super-luxury buses which are plying on 2400 routes across the state and covering over 4.60 lakh km daily, Bali said.

He said two driving schools would be opened in each district of the state and Central government would provide Rs 1 crore for each driving school.
Further, 1,000 new ambulances fully equipped with life saving equipments would be made available on national and state highways, he added.