COMMUNICATIONS

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

State Transport.— Among the public transport organisations the State Transport is the most important. The State Transport undertaking has been catering to the needs of passenger transport on an increasing scale. The undertaking is owned and managed by the Government of Maharashtra as a public utility concern run on commercial lines. The parent body, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, is a statutory public corporation.

Nationalisation of passenger transport services in Bhandara district, which formerly formed part of the Nagpur division of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, was started in 1946. The services were initially run by the Provincial Transport Company which was subsequently purchased by the State Government in 1955 and renamed as the Provincial Transport Services, Nagpur. After the reorganisation of States in November 1956, the operations were looked after by a separate department under the erstwhile Government of Bombay called the ' Transferred Road Transport Undertakings Department'. With effect from 1st July 1961, the 'Transferred Road Transport Undertakings Department ' was abolished, and the Provincial Transport Services, Nagpur, along with the State Transport Services in the Marathwada region were amalgamated with the Bombay State Road Transport Corporation, and the reorganised corporation was named as the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.

The operations in Bhandara District were first started on two routes, viz., Nagpur-Gondia and Gondia-Bhandara with a total route length of 265.3 km. The services on these routes were operated from depots outside the district. The first depot in the district was started on 11th February 1968 with 36 vehicles. By the end of May 1969, 47 vehicles were attached to the depot from which buses on 10 routes were operated.

The number of bus routes increased from 126 in 1961 to 266 in 1966. There was also an increase in the number of buses and passengers travelled per day mainly because of the increase in the bus routes.

The following is the list of some bus routes in the district (as on 31st March 1969): —

*Including short distance routes.

Besides the above routes, many buses start from various towns in Maharashtra and terminate at Bhandara, Gondia, Tumsar, Sakoli, Arjuni, etc., in the district. Bhandara district which in the past formed a part of the Nagpur Division of the State Transport, has now been separated from the latter and a new division has been created for the district.

Amenities: For the convenience of the travelling public, bus stations have been constructed at Bhandara, Gondia and many other towns. In addition, refreshment rooms with tea stalls have been provided at Bhandara, Gondia, Jamb and Kondhala. Temporary bus stations have been constructed at Jamb and Kondhala and pick-up stands at Dongargaon, Khamboda and Nandora.

Private Passenger Transport.— Up to 1965-66 the Maharashtra State Transport Corporation had extended its operations only to a few routes, and private companies used to serve most of the transport needs of the people in the district. A number of routes were left exclusively for the private owners, whereas on a few routes, the passenger traffic was shared between the State Transport buses and private services.

Private companies used to work as private stage carriage operators. Transport services on these routes could not be nationalised due to shortage of passenger vehicles, and shortage of financial resources for construction of bus stands, depots and work shops.

The services rendered by the private bus operators were not up to the mark. Rules regarding safety of passengers, their comforts and convenience were not properly observed. Overcrowding in buses was a frequent occurrence and the bus services, very often, were not regular.

This oppressive state of affairs could not be continued for long. Accordingly more and more passenger transport routes were brought under the fold of the State Transport Undertaking. The process of progressive nationalisation was slowed down for some time by litigation by the private carriage operators. These impediments were overcome by the Government and effective steps were taken to extend the bus services on most of the routes leaving only a few routes for private operators. In accordance with this policy a separate State Transport Division has been created for Bhandara district which helps manage the operations more effectively.

TOP