Budget 2013: JNNURM to get 10,000 more buses for city commuters’ service

Public transport in cities would get a boost as 10,000 new buses would hit roads during 2013-14. Finance minister P Chidambaram said that a significant portion of the central fund under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission ( JNNURM) would be used for buying these buses, especially in hill states.

“The 14,000 buses sanctioned between 2009 and 2012 have made a big contribution to urban transport. I propose to provide Rs 14,873 crore for JNNURM,” the finance minister said. Sources said many of the cities have already ordered low floor and semi-low floor buses and they were waiting for the Centre’s nod on their funding. “We hope buses under JNNURM will be delivered soon to enable us to bring more areas under our network. Bus still remains the preferred mode of public transport in cities,” said a managing director of a state transport undertaking (STU).

STUs and road transport corporations are procuring buses under JNNURM to improve transport infrastructure.

Greater penetration of pubic transport and their operation for longer duration have gained importance in the light of the recent Delhi gang rape case.
The Centre has also asked states to increase the number of government buses. The move is also likely to push the sale of buses by major companies such as Tata Motors Ltd, Ashok Leyland Ltd and Volvo Buses India Pvt Ltd, which are the key supplier to state transport corporations.

On December 18, TOI had reported that the government has deferred the launching of phase-II of JNNURM till the next parliamentary elections. As a stop-gap arrangement, the finance ministry had decided to provide about Rs 15,000 crore for the scheme till 2014. States would pump in another Rs 10,000 crore for fresh projects to be covered under this scheme.