Odisha’s ‘Mo Bus’ Service Adjudged Best City Bus Service Project at UMI 2019

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s technology-driven and citizen friendly ‘Mo Bus’ service operated by the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) was adjudged the Best City Bus Service Project at the 12th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Expo held in Lucknow.

The three-day conference organised by Union Ministry of Urban Development in association with Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited provided the best platform to interact with other professionals, technology and service providers both domestic and international so that the participants can learn the ideas to develop their urban transport along a sustainable path.

The Odisha government’s initiative to provide safe and affordable public transport service was acknowledged by over 1000 delegates at the national event on Saturday.

Currently, as many as 190 buses including 50 AC buses are plying on 20 various routes in Bhubaneswar, Khordha and Cuttack. The bus service caters to around 70000 passengers on a daily basis.

CRUT officials said that they have set a target to reach 1.5 lakhs ridership by 2020.
In the month of May, Mo Bus Service had daily 33000 riders average, however in the last three months it had grown significantly, now the average is 85000.

Similarly revenue average in the month of May was Rs 5 lakh daily, now it has grown to Rs 12 lakh daily, said a CRUT official.

In view of success achieved by the CRUT in Odisha, the dignitaries also proposed to emulate Mo Bus services in other states.

The ‘Mo Bus’ service, flagged off by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in November  last year, has gained wider acceptance among the denizens of the capital city and its suburbs.

The CRUT is a special purpose vehicle (SPV), formed under Housing and Urban Development Department of the Government of Odisha.