IMPHAL | Dec 20: After a gap of 11 years, the daily shuttle bus service between Imphal and Jiribam resumed today with transport commissioner, L. Lakshmikumar Singh, officially flagging off the first bus to Jiribam from Inter State Bus Terminal, Imphal.
Briefing media persons, the commissioner said that re-launching the bus services between Imphal and Jiribam after a long gap will not only improve the connectivity between Jiribam and Imphal but reassure the people of the newly created district of the commitment of the present Government.
Lauding the transporters (Imphal Silcher Road Bus Owners’ Welfare Union and United Bus Owner’s Welfare Assoction) for taking up such initiative of providing services to the people, he said that such services would substantially help in brining development to the district.
Manipur State Transport (MST) department’s main objective is to provide connectivity to every nook and corner of the state, he said adding that irrespective of private or government, the department would support such noble initiative.
Lakshmikumar appealed to the private transporters to render their services without thinking much about profit in a rational way.
According to B. Dhanabir Sharma, bus services stopped plying along the Imphal-Jiribam road since 2006 due to deplorable condition of the road.
However, with Jiribam having upgraded to full-fledged district it has become urgent requirement to improve connectivity to the district besides connecting all the districts and remote places in hills is the dream of chief minister who is also holding the transport portfolio, he said.
Sharma informed that a total of eight buses, four from Imphal to Jiribam and four vice versa, will be pressed into service initially along the route with a gap of one hour (starting from 6 am to 9 am) and added that ISBT will be the starting point with two stopped along the way, one at Wangheng Leikai and another at Baba Fish Centre.
He further informed that the two transports bodies (Imphal Silcher Road Bus Owners’ Welfare Union and United Bus Owner’s Welfare Assoction) will also launch Imphal to Khoupum buses service at the earliest.
Source: Imphal Free Press