There is good news for city residents travelling to and from Jamshedpur.

The Bihar State Road Transport Corporation Ltd (BSRTC) has decided to run two luxury Volvo buses to the Steel City in Jharkhand.

The 49-seater buses are equipped with toilet facility, which is not found in any bus service in Bihar. It is on the pattern of the one fitted in airlines.

The fully air-conditioned buses have facility of food and water on board, WiFi, two LED televisions in each bus, and USB chargers.

The first bus will make its first journey from Monday and one can book seats online from `redBus.com`.

“We have started the new bus service on the public private partnership (PPP) mode. None of the buses in Bihar are equipped with toilet facility and for the first time we have come up with such an idea. It would be beneficial for the passenger travelling long distances,” said transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.

On a daily basis around 1,000 to 1,200 people travel to Jamshedpur using the bus services available in Patna such as Rajdhani Bus Service, Singh Travel, Sri Krishna Rath, Chetak Luxury Tourism Pvt Ltd.

The one started by BSRTC is called Pathibhara Parivahan.

On facilities in the bus, Agarwal said: “The bus has push-back seats, it is equipped with Wi-Fi, CCTV, mobile chargers, GPS, luxury seat and food and water at affordable prices. The length of the bus is 45 feet. Within one month, we will launch seven more buses on this route.”

The interiors of the bus and (top) the toilet on board. Pictures by Manoj Kumar

The fare of the bus is Rs 1,140, higher than the bus service available with the operators.

The other operators charge between Rs 570 and Rs 864.

The new bus will start its journey everyday from Bankipore bus stand at 7.15pm and reach Mango bus stand next day at 6am.

Kankarbagh-based businessman Vishal Gupta expressed happiness over the new service.

“It’s a great service by the transport department because during the journey when passengers ask the conductor to stop the bus for attending nature’s call, it does not stop unless it reaches some hotel or dhaba. A toilet is really necessary during the night journey because it is not safe to stop the bus at any place. So this is a really good move,” Gupta said.

Agarwal has changed the face of bus service in the state capital by starting nine routes making the daily journey of residents easier.

Ever since the service started, more than 50 lakh passenger have used it in Patna.

Agarwal recently received an award for it the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for Best City Bus Service.

The award was given on November 4, 2018, during

the valedictory session of the 11th Urban Mobility India Conference and Exhibition conference held at Chitnavis Centre, Nagpur.