Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off a new UPSRTC bus service, the Rajdhani Express, on Saturday which will connect Lucknow with all district headquarters. During this, the Chief Minister asked the Transport Department to work towards providing transportation to one lakh revenue villages in the upcoming days.

As many as 115 new buses, including 76 Rajdhani Express buses and 39 general buses for different routes, were flagged off while UP Rahi app was also launched for online reservations. In addition, a postage stamp was issued on the occasion of completion of 50 years of the UPSRTC.

Congratulating the department on the completion of 50 years of UPSRTC, the CM said: “UP Transport Corporation is working towards a new, glorious journey while cherishing its golden journey in this first year of ‘Amrit Kaal’. Prior to Holi, new accomplishments will be added to the journey that was begun 50 years ago to facilitate the easy and smooth travel of 25 crore people.”

Lauding the works of the Transport Corporation, the CM noted that the role of the corporation during the Prayagraj Kumbh and the Covid-19 pandemic was commendable. The 45-day Kumbh festival drew 24 crore devotees. For this purpose, the State Government provided 5,000 new buses to the fleet of the Transport Corporation. The Transport Corporation did an excellent job of facilitating the devotees’ journey.

The CM went on to say, “On the other hand, when the lockdown was implemented on March 25, 2020, during the worst pandemic of the century, Covid-19, thousands of labourers and workers from various states of the nation, including Delhi, Punjab, and Maharashtra, left for their homes. Thousands gathered in Delhi and other border areas.”

“At that juncture, we called a meeting of the Transport Corporation. The department stated that they have a fleet of between 12,000 and 14,000 buses. The Transport Corporation’s drivers and operators started sending everyone to their destinations right away.”

According to the CM, while people were attempting to save their own lives, Transport Corporation employees worked side by side with the administration without giving a thought to their own safety. The world appreciated it. Throughout the crisis, the UP government did a wonderful job.

“Meanwhile, 500 buses were sent to Kota to transport the stranded students safely. The drivers and conductors transported 15,000 students home. About 4500 students were also brought from Uttarakhand. The Transport Corporation proved that they stand by people in difficult times,” the CM asserted.

Stating that 150 new buses have arrived on Holi, the CM said, “The good news is that these buses are being made in the Transport Corporation workshop. To purchase 1000 brand-new buses, we gave Rs 400 crore. Additionally, Rs 100 crore was allocated to build bus stops on the lines of airports.”

The CM asked the Transport Department to give the general public good bus service and guarantee a hassle-free trip during festivals.

Maintaining that there are one lakh revenue villages in UP, the CM said: “In all those villages, the Transport Corporation can provide better service than the railway and airport. The Transport Corporation must contact the Tourism and Revenue Department. Dhabas, hotels should be built, so that people can use them. You can provide thousands of young people with employment opportunities by having this facility available in 100,000 locations.”

You have a lot of opportunities, the CM said. “Connect every district, more than 350 tehsils, 825 development blocks, and 762 municipal bodies with bus service. You can even have 30-seater buses in small villages.”

He said that the buses should be clean and the safety of the citizens should be taken care of. There should be regular medical checkups of the driver-operator. For this, the Transport Corporation should sign an MoU with the Health Department. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and Minister of State for Transport Dayashankar Singh were present on the occasion.

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