Fifty per cent of the services to go private, civic body to retain the rest
The cash-strapped city public transport service, the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS), is all set to be partially privatised.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which has been operating the city bus service since 1947, has invited tenders for privatising 32 routes.
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Three years ago, the AMTS operated over 800 buses daily on city roads, but its strength today is just about 350. According to a study, the city, with a population of around 50 lakh, require at least 1,200 buses.
The entire AMTS will not be privatised, but 50 per cent of the routes will be run by private operators and the remaining by the civic body.
Mayor Aneesa Mirza said 100 per cent privatisation of the city bus service is not advisable as it would also cause an increase in fares.