Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today dedicated 18 new Innova taxis for the residents of Shimla under the "Ride with Pride" scheme of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). He presented the keys to the drivers and flagged off these vehicles from Oak Over.
These vehicles worth Rs. 2.91 crores have been provided under the Smart City Shimla project and people would get its services from today itself. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Shimla was not only the capital of the state but also a famous international tourist destination.
The Smart City project had changed the look of the city and under this scheme various steps had been taken to improve the facilities and for the convenience of the tourists and local people as well.
Through Ride with Pride taxi service, better transport facilities would be available to the local residents including elderly, women, physically challenged people and the tourists at large, said Jai Ram Thakur.
The Chief Minister said that Ride with Pride taxis were already being operated by HRTC and this service was proving to be very useful especially for women, senior citizens and patients. More than three thousand commuters were using this taxi service in Shimla city every day.
Jai Ram Thakur said that apart from 18 Innova taxis, 12 tempo traveler and 20 electric buses had also been sanctioned to HRTC under the Smart City project, which would be dedicated to the people of the state next month.
He said that a total amount of Rs. 46 crore had been sanctioned for tempo traveler, electric buses, Dhali bus stand, charging station Tara Devi and digital payment system under the project.
The Chief Minister said that 205 new buses had been added to the fleet of HRTC recently. The total number of buses in the fleet of the Corporation had risen to 3100 now. He said that approval had been accorded for the purchase of 397 more new buses for the year 2022-23.
Industries, Transport, Labour and Employment Minister Bikram Singh, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Rajiv Saizal, Managing Director HRTC Sandeep Kumar, Managing Director Smart City Manmohan Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi, SP Dr. Monika, other senior officers and dignitaries were also present on the occasion.