Bihar transport dept launches 50 CNG buses, 350 ambulances

Chief minister Nitish Kumar flagged off 50 CNG (compressed natural gas) buses and 350 ambulances from Samvad Bhavan in Patna on Saturday

Chief minister Nitish Kumar flagged off 50 CNG (compressed natural gas) buses and 350 ambulances from Samvad Bhavan in Patna on Saturday.

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Speaking during the occasion, Kumar said, “Ambulance services would help critical patients living in remote areas to reach hospitals in urban areas on time, besides helping road accident victims to get timely medical treatment. Under Mukhyamantri Gram Parivahan Yojna (MMGPY), 350 ambulances have been handed over to the beneficiaries while 800 ambulances will be purchased by October.”

Under MMGPY, two people belonging to backward classes from each block are given a subsidy, which amounts to 50% of the cost of the vehicle or a maximum of ₹2 lakh on the purchase of an ambulance.

Kumar also believed that CNG buses would help in minimising pollution in the state capital.

Transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said that initially, 20 diesel-driven buses were converted into CNG.

He said, “Newly launched buses are the state’s first CNG buses. Last year, 20 diesel-driven buses were retrofitted with CNG kits for conversion. We aim to convert all government-run diesel-driven buses to CNG by March 2022.”

A senior transport official, said, “The CNG buses are equipped with modern facilities like GPS, CCTV, panic button, mobile charging points and route display boards. Altogether 10 buses would ply on the Gandhi Maidan-Danapur Bus Stand route, 14 on Gandhi Maidan-Danapur Railway Station, 17 on Gandhi Maidan-Bihta. Bus fare would vary from ₹5 to 45 depending upon distance.”

About ambulances at subsidy, Agarwal said, “We received around 3500 applications for purchasing ambulances under MMGPY. Of the total applications, 954 applicants were selected by the subdivision committee. In the first phase, 350 ambulances have been handed over today. We aim to provide subsidy on 1,086 ambulances under the scheme by December.”