CRUT focuses on enhancing urban transport safety and expansion Reporters Today

Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) reviewed its operations and discussed strategies to improve urban transportation across Odisha during its 49th Board Meeting on Thursday.
The meeting emphasized safety, service quality, and expansion of services throughout the state.
Chaired by Odisha’s Development Commissioner and CRUT Chairperson, Anu Garg, the meeting was attended by key officials including Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of Housing & Urban Development; Saswat Mishra, Principal Secretary of Finance; Amitabh Thakur, Transport Commissioner; and Dr. N. Thirumala Naik, Managing Director of CRUT.

A significant development announced was the expansion of the Ama Bus service to new districts, including Angul, Jharsuguda, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Baripada, Jeypore (Koraput), Balasore, and Rayagada.
Several initiatives were introduced to enhance safety and service standards across Odisha’s transport network. Key measures include the introduction of new speed limits for buses—electric buses will be limited to 35 km/h, while diesel buses will be capped at 40 km/h for city routes and 50 km/h for intercity highways. Regular training sessions will focus on safe driving, electric bus operations, and first-aid. Furthermore, trials for advanced safety technologies such as ADAS and dash cams are currently underway.To better serve commuters, a toll-free assistance number, 18005700218, will be available from 6 AM to 10 PM.

In addition, the pass system, which was initially limited to the Capital Region, will be extended to cities with Ama Bus services, including Rourkela, Sambalpur, and Berhampur.In a bid to improve safety compliance, service quality, and operational efficiency, CRUT also introduced a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based incentive system to reward top-performing bus captains and guides.These efforts reflect CRUT’s commitment to delivering safer, more efficient, and passenger-friendly public transport services across the state.