Bhubaneswar: The city is set to see a major boost in public transport connectivity with Comprehensive Region Urban Transport (Crut)’s Ama Bus planning to roll out 50 mini-buses, for which tender will be floated soon.Departmental approval has been sought through due procedure, Crut officials said. The feeder service aims to bridge the gap between main arterial routes and interior neighbourhoods where large buses cannot operate due to narrow roads. Areas such as Dumduma and Gadakana will be connected to the main road network, ensuring last-mile accessibility for commuters, Crut officials said.CRUT has also announced that only women drivers will operate these mini-buses. “From several main arteries that have large buses plying daily, we don’t have connectivity to internal areas. For this purpose, we need small buses that can ply on narrow roads,” explained CRUT manager (operations) Jayant Kumar.The routes that have been selected for the feeder buses are KIIT Square to Damana Square, Fire Station to Jaydev Vihar, Capital Hospital to Baramunda bus terminal (via OUAT, Delta Square and fire station), Airport to Bhubaneswar Railway Station (via Capital Hospital, AG Square, Rajamahal Square), Gadakana village to Rasulgarh Square (via Vss Nagar, Mancheswar Station).The feeder routes will typically cover 5-10 km stretches, maintaining a frequency of less than 15 minutes to meet urban mobility standards. By linking residential neighbourhoods, commercial hubs and local streets to major transit corridors, the service is expected to significantly improve accessibility and reduce dependence on private vehicles.Officials said the initiative is designed to make public transport more reliable, inclusive and responsive to the city’s growing needs. Once operational, the feeder buses will complement the existing Ama Bus fleet, creating a seamless network across Bhubaneswar.Crut has further introduced a monthly performance tracking system to gauge the work of Crut staff based on which quarterly incentives are awarded to bus captains and guides.
