SILCHAR, April 26 � In a bid to modernise existing passenger ticketing system with the help of information technology to provide maximum benefits to the travelling public, the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) will soon launch electronic ticketing system for the passengers. This was announced by Minister of Transport Ajit Singh while laying the foundation stone for a multi-stored car parking building and a divisional workshop here on Sunday.
The multi-stored car parking building worth Rs 3 crore and divisional workshop worth Rs 1 crore to be made at the ASTC campus at Hailakandi Road have been funded by the State Plan and will take another three years to be completed, the minister said.
�The condition of the ASTC has improved a great deal. We are now focusing on giving more facilities to the people of Assam. E-ticketing is our priority and we are looking forward to introduce the system soon,� Singh said.
Singh said that his department is also planning to introduce GPS equipped school buses in the State for ensuring safety of the school goers. Also, there are talks about introducing Silchar-Sylhet bus service, Singh told the gathering. Narrating the efforts of the State Government in providing better service to the people of the State, Singh said that 400 new buses will be purchased and already 100 buses have been made available in phase one.
Speaking about Barak Valley, the Minister of Transport said that three new rural service buses will be introduced shortly and also buses will be given for far-flung areas like Lowairpuwa.
In his welcome address, Khagen N Chetia, the Managing Director of ASTC said that the multi-stored car parking building will accommodate 36 cars in the basement and 17 cars on the ground floor. The first floor will be for the ASTC office and computer section and second floor will have commercial stalls and a hotel, he added.
Speaking about the journey of the corporation since 2001, Chetia said that ASTC has seen the days of employees committing suicide because of salary crisis and now the corporation is talking about launching the on-line ticketing system. �Our focus is on developing the infrastructure and making way for sustainable transport system. From 70 buses, we now have 1000 buses. Silchar has 50 buses plying into different parts of the State. Also buses are being introduced for airport and Assam University here which speaks about the development and the will to work.�
Lauding the efforts of the government for such a bright initiative, Silchar district Congress president Arun Dutta Majumder, editor of Samayik Prasanga Taimur Raja Choudhury and others demanded that one AC day super bus must be started from Silchar to Guwahati.
