Improved quality of buses will reduce number of cars on road

The ConnectKaro conference saw discussions on whether buses should be glamorized or how car users can be completely moved to buses. The quality of buses in our country is very poor and their numbers are also inadequate. There are 12 lakh buses in the country, of which only 1.3 lakh are being operated by state transport undertakings. These vehicles cater to 2.8 crore passengers or make 7 crore trips daily. These statistics were given by the road transport authority officials who attended the conference. However, according to international standards, there should be at least 60 buses per lakh population in urban areas. According to Durga Shanker Mishra, additional secretary, UD ministry, cities didn't even take effort to procure buses, which could be purchased with funds available under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The reason they were not ready to take buses was that it would require infrastructure development like depots, bus stands, planning of routes and others whereas all are in support of the Metro system because it is seen as a symbol of political and economic advancement. Mishra said that underground Metro can cost Rs 500-700 crore per km while a bus rapid transit system (BRTS) costs about Rs 40-50 crore per km. Amit Bhatt of WRI said that it is unfortunate that although buses are the most important mode of transport, there are 13 different taxes levied on it and these taxes contribute to nearly 20% of a state transport undertaking's operational costs. He lamented that there are no bus forums to push for improvement in this sector.  Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that the privilege of the car has to go if bus needs to be prioritised. Many countries like London and Seoul are spending tax payers' money to support public transport. She said that lots of work needs to be done to build the glamour of the bus service so that it can be sold as a comfortable mode of travel.