Mhaji Bus: New scheme to hire private buses in Goa

Goa’s cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘Mhaji Bus’ (My Bus) scheme which paves the way for contracting private buses to foster the services of the state-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) connecting remote areas and cities.

“We have approved the contracting of private buses under the ‘Mhaji bus’ scheme. Private buses will be taken under contract. Currently four routes are finished. All these buses running on these four routes will now be under this scheme,” Sawant said.

These private buses will be under contract from the state owned Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) to strengthen the bus transportation of the coastal state.

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Pramod Sawant had recently said that the government will soon launch night bus services in the coastal state for tourists and third-shift workers.

“There is no bus service after 8 p.m. in the state. We are ready to face the losses, but it is necessary to start the bus transport service overnight. It is available in other states. Once we start this service, tourists visiting Goa or locals can travel overnight on buses. It will even help those who join third shift tasks,” Sawant said.

Chief Minister Sawant had said that this will happen once the private buses are taken over by the government.

“For this service to be available, we need the support of Kadamba and also private buses. We can all give the best services to people. Making Goa a model state, the transportation system should not be missing. The safety and security of passengers will also be considered. We are working on these aspects. If we want the tourism industry to grow, we will have to maintain good relationships with all stakeholders,” Sawant said.

There will be major changes to the transportation system to connect people from towns to cities and industrial areas. There are four large industrial estates in Goa where thousands of workers work all three shifts.

Currently, there are around 1,460 private buses in the state, while Kadamba Corporation has around 600, including electric buses.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency – IANS)