A task force led by the general manager of BEST Undertaking, originally set up to introduce a single ticketing system in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), has been expanded with new members and responsibilities. The new 14-member panel will now work on integrating bus services run by various civic bodies across the MMR. The initiative could pave the way for a unified bus transport authority backed by a state-approved policy and infrastructure.
The new members to join the task force are the state transport commissioner and the deputy chief engineer (transport division) of the BMC.
The state government, on June 10, formed a 12-member group to work on two issues – a single ticketing method for seamless travel and an integrated bus transport plan for the MMR.
The state government on Tuesday issued another order with additional terms of reference (ToR), including the formulation of a common fare structure for bus services, drafting a model agreement, and developing a uniform policy for wet leasing of buses and working on its terms and conditions.
With a viewpoint on efficiency, the task force has been asked to work on organisational structure with integration of the operators on the lines of Kalyan Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (KMPML). It will also suggest the integral development of infrastructure required for the bus services. Besides, a central repository of the existing bus routes along with new ones will be developed by the task force, says the order.
Given the exhaustive workload, a unified bus transport system for the MMR in which one authority may take over, along with the necessary infrastructure, the order said.
