After nearly two decades, Madhya Pradesh is set to revive its road transport system, primarily to benefit rural communities.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government, under the leadership of then Chief Minister Babulal Gaur, had previously ordered the cessation of the State Road Transport Corporation, which operated buses across the state.
The decision was attributed to the significant financial losses incurred by the Corporation. “A team of officials is working on it and it would come up in any next Cabinet meeting,” a government official told IANS.
The decision of the earlier government had created a vast gap in the road transportation network in the state.
Despite the arrival of private bus operators, only select routes are available to commoners, particularly majority of villages and rural masses remained bereft of any form of public conveyance. The restoration of the transport facility, especially in rural areas, is set to revitalise economic activities in tier-II towns and villages.
Additionally, it will provide essential connectivity to medical facilities and educational institutions, ensuring access and opportunities for the rural populace. Within the bounds of Madhya Pradesh, only the cities of Bhopal and Indore are privileged to possess urban bus services.
The rest of the state in rural areas relies on private operators, who pick only profitable select routes. “It is also a matter of equity, for the less privileged have as much entitlement to travel the state’s thoroughfares as those who possess automobiles,” the officials said.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had already granted an in-principle approval and asked the relevant departments to devise an appropriate model that may be institutionalised, which, upon receiving the approbation, will be presented to the Cabinet for execution.
The Transport Minister said the free bus ride for women will not have any guidelines. “There are no criteria like working women or anyone else. It will be free for women who travel by the bus,” Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters. The ruling Congress’ estimate may cost the state exchequer at least INR 50,000 crore annually.
In this endeavour, the departments of Transport, Finance, Public Works (PWD), and Rural Development were engaged in a comprehensive study. Madhya Pradesh besides Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand stand unique in India as these states lack state-owned or state-sponsored public road transportation network.According to the official there are three models on drawing board.
The first entails the state government both owning and operating a transport corporation; the second involves the state owning the buses and infrastructure while outsourcing the operations.
The third and most probable option is the enlistment of private operators to extend their services to unprofitable routes through a Viability Gap Funding model, thereby covering all districts of the state.
