Rajasthan govt plans 2,000 mini buses in Jaipur for transit boost

The Rajasthan government is planning to strengthen Jaipur’s public transport system through the operation of over 2,000 mini buses, with the Metro phase 2 construction expected to take over four to five years.  

 

“At present, more than 850 mini buses are operating in the city, in which over 20,000 passengers travel daily. Now, the transport department has issued a notification to issue permits for operating them on 1170 new routes, and 1,50,000 passengers will be able to avail the facility,” a transport department official said.

 

He added that the department will issue permits for mini buses on 16 routes of the city, and for 400 4-wheelers with seat capacity of eight to ten on eight routes.

 

The official said that the new routes are being determined to facilitate connection between two ends of the capital city. Along with this, Jaipur’s industrial areas, railway station, airport, education hubs, major markets and suburbs will be connected to improve commutes. 

 

The population and area of Jaipur have been increasing continuously over the last three decades, but public transport facilities have not kept pace. The first phase of the metro did not improve the situation considerably either. 

 

Low-floor buses were commissioned to ease the mass transit issue, but their length created additional problems and increased traffic jams. Mini buses were then operated as a solution by the Jaipur City Transport Service Limited (JCTSL).