Incentives for AMA Bus staff to be rolled out from January 26

Bhubaneswar: During a high-level committee meeting on the operations of AMA Bus operations today a decision was taken for roll out of an incentive scheme for captains and guides of the bus service from January 26.

Under the scheme, incentives will be disbursed quarterly based on comprehensive evaluations of safe driving practices and overall performance.

The meeting, chaired by Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhi, focused on strengthening road safety, enhancing passenger convenience, and improving skill development and welfare of drivers.

Officials informed the committee that AMA Bus vehicle speeds were closely monitored during the first two weeks of January and no cases of speed violations were reported. The meeting also discussed improving bus accommodation and management at bus stops.

To strengthen driver training, e-buses will be provided to the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), enabling drivers to undergo daily practical training within the institute premises. For this purpose, multi-charging infrastructure is planned at Chhatia, Berhampur and Bonai in Sundargarh district. These facilities will also offer charging options for private electric vehicles and government vehicles, with public access to four-wheeler EV charging stations.

Public participation in AMA Bus route planning and service improvement will begin from February, allowing citizens to share suggestions and feedback on route changes through social media platforms.

The duration of driver training programmes has been extended from three days to five days to allow more extensive heavy motor vehicle driving practice. Training will place greater emphasis on psychometric tests, inhibitors, lane discipline and self-assessment. Driving simulators will also be introduced at training schools for specialised e-bus training.

In line with passenger safety and environmental sustainability goals, 30 old BPTCL buses that have completed more than 1.5 lakh kilometres will be scrapped. These will be replaced with small e-buses in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to improve last-mile connectivity.

Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, CRUT Managing Director Sanjay Biswal, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissionerate Police, and the Traffic DCP were present at the meeting.

A high-level committee chaired by Usha Padhi has been constituted to review AMA Bus operations every 15 days to ensure continuous monitoring and improvement.