Surat Municipal Corporation was selected for the ‘Best City Bus Services Award‘ on Monday by the Central government. Surat Municipal Corporation got it by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Why Surat Municipal Corporation for Best City Services Award:
Surat Municipal Corporation has attracted 87 percent of private vehicle and auto-rickshaw users to its busses which was the major reason behind the selection of Surat Municipal Corporation for the award.
A part from that Chittor was chosen for the ‘Commendable Initiative Award‘ for improvement in road safety which became possible due to initiatives made by the city police. The awards were announced by the ministry on the concluding day of a three-day Urban Mobility Conference– cum-Exhibition in Hyderabad.
Background:
Till 2014, Surat city of Gujarat having population of 45 lakh was heavily dependent for transportation on three-wheelers and private vehicles. But since the introduction of Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) with 275 busses running on roads at various 28 routes, approximately 85% of people who were earlier using private vehicles or auto- rickshaws opted to use city busses. This has also helped city to reduce environmental pollution as well as social adversity issues.
