18 luxury AC buses to Kolkata, Ranchi, Jamshedpur soon

PATNA: Public transport between Patna and neighbouring Jharkhand is set to get a boost as the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) will soon start running at least 18 luxury airconditioned buses on the Patna-Kolkata, Patna-Ranchi and Patna-Jamshedpur routes.
Sources claimed six luxury buses each would be operated on the Patna-Kolkata, Patna-Ranchi and Patna-Jamshedpur routes. The road distance between Patna and Kolkata is around 600km, while that between Ranchi and Patna is around 350km and between Patna and Jamshedpur is around 450km.
BSRTC administrator Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said the buses would be operated under public-private partnership (PPP) mode and private operators were being selected.
“At present, non-AC semi-deluxe buses run from Patna to Jamshedpur, Ranchi and Kolkata. We have decided to run luxury buses on these routes as they are in demand,” Agarwal told TOI.
According to BSRTC sources, the buses of 2015 model or above will be equipped with modern and passenger-friendly facilities. For instance, they will have reclining seats with comfortable seatbelts and armrests on either side. Enough leg space apart, all seats will have rare magazine nets, grab handles and bottle holders. The luxury coaches will also be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like TV, Dolby Digital audio-video DVD player, LCD screen and cellphone/laptop charger with every seat.
Frequent commuters between Patna, Kolkata, Ranchi and Jamshedpur routes have hailed the decision.
“There is always a huge rush in Kolkata-bound trains from Patna. So, I was eagerly waiting for the arrival of luxury buses on the Patna-Kolkata route as I have to travel frequently between the two cities,” said S K Nagar resident Santosh Sinha who works in Kolkata.