Now, city buses to have Wi-Fi, GPS services

With municipal corporation’s Ludhiana City Bus Service Limited (LCBSL) all set to return on the road from mid-January, residents will be able to enjoy advanced facilities as the buses will be connected with GPS system soon.

Besides, the newly selected firm to run the city buses will also offer facilities like free Wi-Fi, service to religious places on Sundays.

The GPS system will allow people to know the current status of running buses. Horizon Connect Transways Private Limited (HCTPL), which has been selected to run 105 city buses, will also hire new staff for buses, including woman conductors.

When contacted, MC assistant commissioner Satwant Singh said, “We will set up a GPS control room so that buses can be connected with GPS system installed in them. We plan to provide better service to the city residents.”

He said, “We are also going to identify the areas where majority of the government working class resides and then start a few buses connecting their colonies with their offices. We have a meeting with the deputy commissioner regarding this issue in the coming days.”

“Our first aim is to provide better services to residents as the bus service is for the public. We hope that the service will be successful this time,” Singh added.

Ravinder Sharma, a resident, said, “It is good that the city buses are going to ply on roads again. If the GPS system and Wi-Fi facility are being provided by the operator then more residents will prefer travelling via this service.”

HCTPL managing director Sidharth Barkiya said, “We are going to hire staff, including woman conductors. The buses will also have cameras and we also assure providing Wi-fi facility onboard. We have been successfully running the buses in Ujjain and I assure that Ludhiana residents will be given the best services.”

“We have planned to recruit the woman conductors and special buses for woman will also be plying on the road. We will also offer free service to religious places once a week. Cleanliness will be ensured in buses under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan,” he added.