Surat in dire need of an efficient bus service

Surat is one of the most industrialised and fastest developing cities in India and probably has the highest rate of population growth in the country, but an efficient mass transport system is conspicuous by its absence here.

"The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) operates city buses in Surat, but the number of buses is inadequate. The population of Surat has more than doubled in the last decade or so, and even the area has increased, but the number of buses has remained the same," an office bearer of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry told Business Standard.

"The quality of bus service provided by GSRTC is extremely poor and irregular due to lack of funds, high operating cost, poor maintenance of the fleet and weak management. This has resulted in a big jump in the number of private vehicles in Surat," he said.

"The number of private vehicles has increased from 6.42 lakh in 1999 to over 10.50 lakh in 2004. This is a worrying fact, as it not only leads to higher pollution, but also results in higher number of accidents," he said.

"The only way to check the increase in private vehicles is to improve the quality of bus services, which GSRTC cannot be expected to do due to funds crunch. The only other option left is to privatise the bus service," he said.

"The SMC is planning to launch a mass rapid transit system, but in view of financial and other constraints, it is not in a position to start the bus service on its own. The corporation has approached the state government with a proposal to allow it to privatise the bus service, but the government has expressed its reluctance in doing so," he said.

"While the bus services have been successfully privatised in Bhavnagar and Jamnagar since the last two years, it is surprising that the government is not too keen on a similar concept for Surat," he said.

He also suggested that the state government could set up a regulatory body for the bus services.

"If the state government is not too keen on handing over the entire bus service to SMC, it could set up a regulatory body, overlooking operations of GSRTC, SMC and reputed private companies. The regulatory body can make the decisions regarding the bus routes, issuing licenses to private operators, fixing fares and thereby maintain control over the bus service," he said.