Koraput: Ten months after its inauguration, six air-conditioned buses launched under Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme in Malkangiri district stopped operating on Friday. This has disappointed commuters who relied upon them to commute between block headquarters and the district headquarters.
“It is unfortunate that the air-conditioned buses have stopped.People were very happy after getting the service in remote areas. Steps should be taken to ensure its restoration,” said Ram Patnaik, a Malkangiri-based activist.
This scheme was envisioned to revolutionize transportation across the district by providing affordable and reliable transit options to underserved regions, thereby enhancing intra-block and intra-district connectivity. “The regional transport office has temporarily suspended the route permit of the six air-conditioned buses, which has led to the suspension of their service. However, 35 other buses under LAccMI scheme continue to operate across the district’s 111 panchayats,” said Aroshree Sahoo, divisional transport manager, OSRTC, Malkangiri.
Regional transport officer (Malkangiri) Bhagirathi Naik, said, “The route permit was suspended after private operators complained about the bus timings. We are examining the issue and soon the bus service will resume.” The LAccMI scheme was inaugurated by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Malkangiri on Oct 12, 2023.

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