Chandigarh, December 31: Starting from small fleet of 30 buses in 1966, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (C.T.U.) has travelled long way by managing of fleet of 417 buses + 90 (60 non-AC semi low floor buses + 30 AC low floor buses) under JNNURM scheme as on today. 10 more AC low floor buses will be inducted in the city operation shortly. It has four Depots / Workshops and it is managing two ISBTs i.e. ISBT-17 & ISBT-43.
The main functioning of C.T.U. is to provide bus services to the residents of the Chandigarh, Sub Urban area and in the area of adjoining States i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J & K, Uttar Pardesh, Rajasthan. It provides concession in bus passes to the students, Govt. employees/teachers. 100% fare concession in local buses to the physically handicapped persons, 50% to the senior citizens and free travel concession to the blind persons, war widows, freedom fighters of Chandigarh along with one attendant, Thallassemic Children along with one attendant and Accredited Journalists in local buses. Eight seats have been kept reserved for only ladies passengers in the CTU local buses. Besides, two seats each are reserved for senior citizens, disabled persons, blind persons and freedom fighters.
CTU is manning two ISBTs i.e. ISBT-17 & ISBT-43 with modern facilities to the commuters. There are 192-bus queue shelters within city out of these 52 bus queue shelters are on BOT basis with all modern facilities.
This Undertaking is covering 1.21 lacs. Kms. Approx. (long route-64000 kms., local route – 42000 Kms. And Sub Urban-15000 kms.) Per day with a fleet of 507 buses (long route 204, local route 265, Sub urban 38), Approximately 2.15 lacs commuters travel in CTU buses daily and earning of CTU is approx. Rs.25.00 lacs per day. CTU has also inducted 34 Mini AC buses on the local routes. Under the JnNURM scheme the Govt. of India has approved 100 buses (60 Non AC semi low floor buses and 40 AC low Floor Buses). Out of 100 buses 60 Non-AC and 30 AC buses have been received and plying on local routes.
Since 23rd January 2006, C.T.U. is providing the city service based on the grid system with 116 most modern semi low floor buses, 10 Ashok Leyland local buses, 34 mini AC buses and 60 non-AC semi low floor buses and 30 low floor AC buses under JNNURM scheme. The buses which are being plied under the JNNURM scheme are fitted with altra modern facilities for comfortable journey of the commuters. The local operation starts from 5.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. with the strengthening of local service we have reduced the waiting period of commuters from 30 mts. To 10 mts. Besides, overnight bus service is available from ISBT-43 to railway station via ISBT-17. CTU is operating 29 routes under grid system within city and 36 routes plying from point to point service including Panchkula, Mohali, Mansa Devi, Nada Sahib, Chandimandir Cantonment and High Court etc. CTU is also operating special bus service for ladies/girls students during the opening and closing timings of the Colleges.
CTU earned more even operating less Kms, than the corresponding period of the last year. This has been achieved with the better route planning and optimum use of human resources. We closed all long routes / sub urban routes which are having less than 50% occupancy and operated 11,90,810 less kms from last year and saved Rs. 3,62,12,532/- as per our per km expenditure is Rs. 30.41per kms approx. The purchase of original spare parts and better maintenance of buses is also one of the factors for the better results. However, it is informed to your good self that CTU operated less kms. on long routes but covered more kms. on local routes in order to strengthening the local bus service which is primary duty of CTU.
After the recruitment of Drivers and reducing the operation on low route receipt on long routes, we saved approx. Rs. 20, 00,000/- on account of payment of over time to the driver staff. The above results have been achieved besides the adverse operational factors such as floods situations in Haryana, Delhi, U.P., and Uttaranchal and Bharat Bandh. The recruitment of Conductors is under process and they will be inducted in CTU staff shortly.
The occupancy ratio of local routes is 125% during the peak hours and 40% during the day and late evening hours. The average occupancy is 82%. Due to fitting of Speed Governors in the local buses CTU has managed to reduce the fatal accidents from 21 during the 2009-10 to 03 during the current year. The work of house keeping of ISBT-43 & ISBT-17 has been outsourced to the private agencies who are maintaining cleanliness of Bus Stands with Hi-Tech machines. Proper Car, Scooter/Motor Cycle and Cycle parkings have been provided at ISBT-43 and ISBT-17. There is a proposal for construct Multi Level Parking at ISBT-43. Computerization: Chandigarh Transport Undertaking has computerized 70% of its working and is in the process of further computerization.
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) / PUBLIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (PIS) The GPS/PIS System has been installed on 100 buses and 50 bus queue shelters in the city local operation. The control room of GPS has been established in the Administrative Block of C.T.U. This system has helped in enhancing level of services to the commuters. Besides getting information both on-board the bus and at the bus stops, it also helps in tracking the movement of buses on busy routes.
Picture: showing the location of buses on the Chandigarh Map
The Public Information System facilitates the passengers standing at the Bus Queue Shelters to know the estimated time of arrival of buses.
Picture: showing the Estimate Time of arrival of buses at the Bus Queue Shelters.
The system provides the facility to the commuters to check the arrival time of the next bus on a particular route at any of the bus queue shelter by using the SMS facility and IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) facility. In future GPS/PIS system will be provided in all local buses.
SPEED GOVERNORS: Electronic Speed Governors have been fitted in all the buses operated on intera city routes to limit the speed of the bus to 50 kms. only to avoid accidents.
ACQUISITION OF FLEET: 20 ordinary Distt. Type AC Buses are under fabrication and will be added in the CTU fleet shortly.
The Chandigarh Administration has fixed the receipt target of this Undertaking as Rs.90.00 Cr. and hopefully the CTU will not only achieve but also cross the said target.
FUTURE PROJECTS;
DEDICATED BUS SERVICE FROM POINT TO POINT: In order to strengthening local bus service and to further reduce the waiting period CTU has plan to introduce dedicated bus service from point to point to connect various important places/institutions. With the introduction of new routes the frequency will also increase and waiting period will reduce. This will encourage the commuters to travel by public transport instead of their private mode of transport.
CONSTRUCTION OF MULTI LEVEL PARKING; To provide more parking space at ISBT-43 there is a proposal to construct Multi Level Parking there.