157 new routes identified for operating minibuses in Tiruchi

The Transport Department has identified 157 new routes for permitting minibuses to serve the unserved areas in the district

The Transport Department has identified 157 new routes for permitting minibuses to serve the unserved areas in the district.

The new routes, which have been identified after a comprehensive study in the areas that come under the jurisdiction of various Regional Transport Offices (Tiruchi East, Tiruchi West and Srirangam), have already been notified in the district gazette. With this, the number of minibus routes in the district will go up to 300. Minibuses (with 25+2 passengers and crew members) are operated on 143 routes in the district.

According to official sources, the maximum distance for each new route for operating a minibus will be 25 km. The minimum length of the unsered areas will be 65% of the newly identified routes.

“We will be in a situation to operate buses in almost all areas in the district with the proposed new routes. It will facilitate the people to commute to the needy areas from their villages or remote areas,” says a senior official of the Transport Department in Tiruchi.

He said it had been receiving applications from the public for issuing permits to the new routes. It was open for the people to apply for route permission. They could submit the applications in the prescribed format to the respective Regional Transport Authorities. If more than one application were received for a route the route holder would be chosen by a lot system. After choosing the route holder proceedings would be issued to the allottees to purchase new vehicles. The wheelbase of minibuses should be 390 cm with the 25 passenger seating capacity.

The official said the route permit would be valid for five years. The permit holders would have to renew it after five years in accordance with the rules and regulations prevailing at that time.