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UPSRTC to operate inter-state AC sleeper coaches on 15 routes
The corporation has already invited bids from private bus operators and firms to operate sleeper coaches in partnership with the UPSRTC under an eight-year contract. The move, officials said, was aimed at expanding the corporation’s inter-state sleeper coach services without requiring it to invest in a new fleet.
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Acting on chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s push to expand comfortable inter-state road connectivity, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is all set to introduce high-end AC sleeper bus services on 15 routes initially, connecting the state with major destinations in several states.
The corporation has already invited bids from private bus operators and firms to operate sleeper coaches in partnership with the UPSRTC under an eight-year contract. The move, officials said, was aimed at expanding the corporation’s inter-state sleeper coach services without requiring it to invest in a new fleet.
“The chief minister wants us to operate inter-state sleeper coaches, including double-decker buses. Following his instructions, we have invited bids for operation of such buses on 15 routes by private operators in association with us,” a senior UPSRTC official said.
The proposed network includes routes such as Lucknow-Jaipur, Lucknow-Kota via Jhansi, Lucknow-Agra-Kaila Devi, Lucknow-Pushkar, Lucknow-Gaya, Varanasi-Kota via Jhansi, Ayodhya-Jaipur, Ayodhya-Kanpur-Indore, Kanpur-Indore, Kanpur-Kota, Bareilly-Chandigarh, Meerut-Ajmer via Delhi-Jaipur, Mathura-Delhi-Katra and Barabanki-Sitapur-Jaipur-Ajmer.
According to the tender documents, two buses have been envisaged for each of the 15 routes, indicating an initial deployment of 30 sleeper coaches. The tender allows for high-end AC sleeper coaches, including the possibility of double-decker buses, under the corporation’s scheme.
The arrangement is significant as UPSRTC has traditionally relied on its own fleet as well as hired buses to expand its services. Under the new model, private operators will provide the vehicles and operate them under an agreement with the state transport corporation.
The tender, invited after a pre-bid conference, was originally scheduled to close on September 7. However, the deadline was subsequently extended to September 17, with bids scheduled to be opened on September 19.
The proposed sleeper services are expected to give passengers an alternative to overnight trains and conventional buses, particularly on longer routes connecting Lucknow and other UP cities with Jaipur, Kota, Indore, Katra, Chandigarh, Gaya and Ajmer. The services will also cater to the travel needs of students, labourers and passengers travelling for religious tourism.
The UPSRTC currently does not operate inter-state sleeper coaches, while hundreds of private sleeper coaches, including double-decker buses, mostly operate between Delhi and other states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh via UP, often in violation of regulations. Reports of road accidents involving such buses have also surfaced from time to time.
