Gandhinagar, March 18 Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated 182 new buses of the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
A grand ceremony was held in the state capital to flag off a total of 182 new buses of the corporation, one for each of Gujarat's 182 assembly constituencies, for the convenience of passengers, according to an official release.
Besides Patel, the ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi and Minister of State for Transport Praveen Mali.
The new fleet has been expanded at a cost of Rs 62 crore, the release said.
On Wednesday, in a symbolic gesture promoting sustainable mobility, cabinet members and MLAs travelled by state transport buses from their residences to the Assembly, sending a message to citizens about reducing pollution and traffic congestion through increased use of public transport.
GSRTC operates a fleet of more than 8,000 buses daily, covering 33 lakh kilometres, and provides safe and punctual transport services to over 27 lakh passengers, as per a release.
The state government provides financial assistance to the GSRTC every year to purchase new buses. Under this arrangement, 1,963 vehicles, including 963 Super Express, 550 Gurjar Nagari, 100 sleeper buses, 350 midi buses, and 2,00 AC buses, were purchased.
Plans have also been made to put 200 modern Volvo and AC buses into operation on a public-private partnership basis, according to the release.
Operating additional buses during various festivals and religious fairs allows people to travel to their native places to celebrate festivals with their families, it added.