CRUT staff directed to travel in ‘Ama Bus’ twice a week for first-hand commuter insights

Bhubaneswar: In a move aimed at improving the quality and responsiveness of public transport, the Managing Director of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), N. Thirumala Naik, has instructed all CRUT employees, including senior officials, to travel in ‘Ama Bus’ services at least twice a week.

The initiative is designed to help staff experience the system from a commuter's perspective and identify areas of improvement.

Leading by example, Naik travelled during peak hours on Wednesday along with senior officials on two high-traffic routes—Route 10 (KIIT Square to Infocity Square) and Route 13 (Trident College to Keshari Talkies). These routes were chosen based on passenger feedback.

During the journey, Naik interacted directly with commuters to gather insights about their travel experience. “Understanding the real-time commuter experience is key to building a better, more responsive public transport system. Our team must stay in touch with the ground to bring about meaningful change,” he said.

In a separate surprise inspection earlier in the day, Sanjay Biswal, General Manager (Operations & Maintenance), travelled from CDA-9, Cuttack to Kalarahanga, Bhubaneswar, interacting with passengers and assessing service standards.

Under this initiative, all CRUT staff are required to document their interactions, identify service gaps, and submit actionable suggestions. The collected feedback will be reviewed and integrated into plans for route optimisation, increased frequency, technological upgrades, and overall service improvement under the Ama Bus programme.

As part of its people-first approach, CRUT also plans to introduce a commuter feedback form within the ‘Ama Bus’ mobile app, allowing regular passengers to share suggestions and report issues conveniently.

With these measures, CRUT reaffirms its commitment to building a smart, efficient, and commuter-friendly urban transport system, keeping passenger satisfaction at the core of its operations.