High-Level Committee Formed to Strengthen Safety and Operations of Ama Bus Services

Bhubaneswar: Concerned over a recent unfortunate incident involving an Ama Bus, the State Government on Tuesday conducted a high-level review meeting on the safety, operation and management of Ama Bus services, following the directions of the Chief Minister.

The meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, and was attended by Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, Managing Director of CRUT Sanjaya Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police Shri Jagmohan Meena, Traffic DCP, and other senior officials.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Padhee announced the formation of a five-member high-level committee under her chairmanship to ensure stricter monitoring, improved operational discipline and enhanced passenger safety in Ama Bus services. The committee includes the Transport Commissioner, the DCP, the Traffic DCP and a senior officer from CRUT.

The committee will meet once every 15 days to review operational performance, safety protocols and passenger services, and may also convene meetings at short notice to address urgent concerns.

As part of immediate corrective measures, Padhee said additional mini buses will be inducted into the Ama Bus fleet to improve operational efficiency and strengthen last-mile connectivity. She also informed that the driver recruitment process will be made more stringent. Newly recruited drivers will undergo rigorous training, followed by a mandatory five-day evaluation and testing period to assess driving skills, road safety awareness, lane discipline and behavioural standards before induction.

The Principal Secretary further stated that the overall management of Ama Bus services will be closely monitored over the next one month to ensure strict compliance with safety and operational norms. Describing the recent incident as “deeply unfortunate,” she assured that all necessary steps would be taken to prevent any recurrence. An inquiry into the incident is underway, and accountability will be fixed upon its completion.

To encourage positive conduct, it was decided that drivers and conductors displaying exemplary behaviour would be rewarded with monthly incentives. In addition, the mechanical condition of all operational buses will be checked on a daily basis to ensure roadworthiness.

Sharing accident data, officials informed that between February and December 2025, seven persons lost their lives and 97 others sustained injuries in Ama Bus-related accidents.

To strengthen traffic discipline, lane driving has been made mandatory for Ama Bus services. The Police and Traffic Police will monitor the movement of Ama Buses through the Smart City surveillance system.