Bhubaneswar: Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) has tied up with eight cities from other states to launch its high-end premium bus service. For devotees wanting to visit the famous Rath Yatra, five out-of-state routes will be established under the name “Shri Jagannath Express.” Devotees from Hyderabad, Ujjain, Ayodhya, Tirupati, and Bhilai will travel to Puri in comfortable Volvo buses. Tomorrow, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will inaugurate this Shri Jagannath bus service from Malatipatapur, Puri.
According to OSRTC authorities, the Shri Jagannath Express will depart from Malatipatapur on Wednesdays and Fridays. From Puri, two buses will run to Hyderabad, Ujjain, Ayodhya, Tirupati, and Bhilai. This bus service will begin from the 4th of the month. OSRTC buses will continue to run to these five cities during the Rath Yatra and Sunavesh festivals.
Similarly, from Bhubaneswar, a special Shri Jagannath bus with superior and semi-sleeper facilities will run to Visakhapatnam. Passengers will have mobile charging points inside the buses.
New Routes and Facilities
The Shri Jagannath Express will connect nine new routes to out-of-state destinations, including Ayodhya, Tirupati, Ujjain, Hyderabad, and Bhilai to Puri. The Chief Minister will inaugurate the service today, with buses starting from the 4th. Two daily buses will run from Raighar to Hyderabad and from Bhawanipatna to Hyderabad. In total, 15 buses will be operated on 8 routes.
Ticket prices will be discounted by 50% for women pilgrims. These buses will be Volvo models, equipped with comfortable sleeper seats, mobile charging points, and advanced suspension systems with long wheelbases for smooth rides.
For passenger safety, the buses will have fire safety measures, live vehicle tracking, and panic buttons. If a bus breaks down en route, alternative buses will be arranged.
Opening of Integrated Command and Control Center
Tomorrow, a new building for the Integrated Command and Control Center will be inaugurated at the AG Square OSRTC office. This center will be operated through the Integrated Transport Management System (ITMS). ITMS will monitor more than 600 OSRTC buses, over 100 Chief Minister’s buses, and the Shri Jagannath Express services.
ITMS will keep detailed data on how many passengers are traveling on a bus, from which bus stand they boarded, etc. If a passenger presses the panic button during an emergency, ITMS will immediately alert the control center, which will dispatch help promptly.
This system will be integrated with:
Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS) to track bus locations
Grievance Redressal Management System (GRMS) for passengers to register complaints
Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) enabling passengers to book tickets online
Fuel Utilization Management System (FUMS) to detect fuel theft by bus staff
AVLS will provide real-time bus location tracking. AFCS allows online ticketing for passengers. FUMS helps detect and prevent fuel theft. GRMS will allow passengers to lodge complaints effectively.
No responses yet