Semi low floor buses set for privatization
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 22 2012: Semi low-floor buses provided under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) would be entrusted to private operators and they would be asked to pay the costs of the buses in instalment basis before they are allowed to claim themselves as lawful owners of the buses.

An official source informed that the cost of one semi low-floor bus is Rs 29.50 lakhs.

At present, Transport Department is operating the semi low-floor buses.

Though certain routes are not profitable enough, the semi low-floor buses as a whole are earning profits.

As such, it is believed that private operators can run the buses successfully.

Keeping this view in mind, the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) has already decided to fully privatise the semi low-floor buses.

A decision to this effect was adopted during an UMTA meeting today.

Notably, Transport Minister is the Chairman of UMTA.

The buses would be handed over to private individuals after calling tender.

Once the private individuals take over the buses, the Govt would collect Rs 35,500 each month or Rs 1170 per day from the private operators for each bus.

Once the money paid in instalment basis reaches the exact amount of the bus, private individuals would become lawful owners of the buses.

The meeting decided to do away with the current practice of deducting 30 per cent from the profit margin of the semi low-floor bus service for office management of UMTA.

Instead, Rs 500 would be charged on monthly basis.

Interested individuals/parties would be allowed to apply for tender within the month of October.

Those who win the tender bids would be asked to pay Rs four lakhs as security deposit and this amount would be non-refundable.

To negotiate with bidders about the terms and conditions set by UMTA, a sub-committee headed by Transport Deputy Director has also been constituted.

DSP (Traffic) and Lamphel SDO are other members of the sub-committee.

Today's meeting also discussed about adding certain routes to the routes already covered by the buses.

Though the meeting stopped short of taking any definite decision on extension of routes, it decided to increase the frequency of bus service on the routes already identified.

It took a definite resolution to make these buses available every 30 minutes at the same place/bus-stop.

Finally, UMTA entrusted Transport Director BK Sharma and MAHUD Director Geetkumar to initiate due procedures for obtaining more semi low-floor buses under the second phase of JNURM.

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