Eight years gone, intelligent transport system in limbo

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 24

Eight years after the ambitious project to introduce intelligent transport management system in the passenger buses and trucks of the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) was announced, it remains a non-starter in Jammu and Kashmir. The project aimed at achieving revenue targets and check ration pilferage during transportation.

It was first proposed in 2011 during the NC-Congress government. In 2015, the then Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu in the PDP-BJP government had mentioned about the plan during his Budget speech.

The project was one of the initiatives aimed at reviving the cash-starved ‘white elephant’ in the state to plug losses by tracking vehicles on roads in real time.

Official sources said the state government in 2015-16 had invited tenders and a private company had come forward with a proposal of Rs 10 crore to instal and run the services on private-public partnership mode but a senior minister in the previous PDP-BJP government had stalled the project.

“The proposal could not be put through because objections were raised that a single vendor cannot be given the entire project. This stalled the plan and since then, no progress has been made,” a source said. The company had given a demonstration and a proposal was submitted to the state government but no decision was taken. The company had agreed to bore the expenditure of installation and recover it in 10 years.

There was also a proposal to instal GPS devices for tracking vehicles owned by the corporation, CCTVs in long-route buses and an online ticketing system.

When contacted, Managing Director, SRTC, Manmohan Singh said, “We are again reviving the project. A decision will be taken in next board meeting of the corporation.” However, he didn’t specify the reasons which got the intelligent transport management system delayed till now.

Established on June 1, 1948, as a government transport undertaking with a 50-truck fleet, the corporation has now more than 1,500 buses and trucks but it is running in losses with a majority of employees not getting salaries on time.

'Revival on cards'

When contacted, Managing Director, SRTC, Manmohan Singh said, "We are again reviving the project. A decision will be taken in next board meeting of the corporation." However, he didn't specify the reasons which got the intelligent transport management system delayed till now