The state urban development department recently invited expression of interests from agencies which have experience in such works. The firm, selected by the department, would be responsible for developing the bus stops at identified locations and maintaining them for a period of five years besides displaying useful information for users and common public at these bus stops.

"These stops would be meant for the city bus service likely to commence from November this year," urban development department principal secretary Dipak Kumar said.

As part of the proposed city bus service, luxury buses would be run on all the major routes of Patna as a joint venture of the Bihar Tourism Development Corporation and the urban development department.

Kumar said the bus stops would be constructed under public-private-partnership (PPP) and the selected agency would be given the advertisement rights so as to make the operation and maintenance of the bus stops sustainable.

The selected agency would be first asked to submit designs of the bus stops. The one suitable for the Patna roads would be selected by a team of experts. Kumar said a survey is already underway to identify the spots where the proposed bus stops would come up.

Incidentally, the city commuters at present have to depend on the services of private operators, most of them being small players. Their service is poor and, as such, many commuters use own vehicles.

The proposed bus service is likely to reduce vehicular congestion on the city roads as many city commuters are expected to opt for the new bus service.