Shashank  Shekhar

Dhanbad ( Jharkhand) : Anticipating transportation problems of thousands of daily commuters besides others who work in coalfield and industrial  zones June 15, 2017,  as Dhanbad Division of ECR will  stop running 19  Mail, Express and Passenger trains on Dhanbad—Chandrapura route from that day, Dhanbad deputy commissioner (DC) A Dodde on June 13 directed  Dhanbad District transport officer (DTO) Panakaj Kumar Sao  to finalize running of buses with chart route between Dhanbad  and Chandrapura to meet the  expected rise in demand.  From June 15 itself, a minimum 20 buses will be pressed in service which is expected to increase.

On the direction  of  the Dhanbad DC, DTO Pankaj Sao on June 13 convened a high  level  meeting  with all leading  local transporters  of Dhanbad  at his chamber where it was finally decided to run  buses every hour starting from am 5am from Dhanbad bus stand while  one the other hand buses from Phusro (Industrial city of Bokaro district) will also start  at 5 am in the other direction  which will reach Chandrapura at 5.3o am. Buses starting from  Dhanbad  will stop at  Kako Math Mor, Katras, Phulwaritand, Dugda  and then reach Chandrapura on way to Phusro.

Dhanbad DC informed all the trasporters have been directed to ply  most of the buses providing transportation to  dozens of villages located on 34 km stretch on Dhanbad –Chandrapura route on which trains will not ply now.

“As the people of Kusunda, Sijua, Katras, Angrapathra, Phularitand, Loyabad, Bansuria and other  villages of Dhanbad—Chandrapura route will now not have the rail services, bus services will provide relief to the people. I hope local transporters  will  lap up this opportunity and run buses but if we fail to get enough buses we might even invite leading  transporters  from other places, “ said  the DC. Dhanbad DTO Sao  said that after  having several rounds of parleys, the local transporters had agreed to run buses on Dhanbad—Chandrapura route  for which local route chart, timing  and places where buses will stop is being finalized.