Panaji: Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), in collaboration with Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd (KTCL), has launched a shuttle service at Verna industrial estate for factory employees.
GIDC chairman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said that the GIDC would partially fund the service to ensure that the bus service remains sustainable for KTCL.The bus will operate on a continuous loop starting from Titan Junction, covering key areas across the industrial estate and returning to Titan Junction, thereby functioning as a closed-circuit service for workers.“Right now, the service has started with one bus, but there will be a second bus on the route.
We look forward to have this service in most of the industrial estates wherever possible,” said Lourenco.The bus will be operated by KTCL and will run daily from 6.30am to 10.30pm.Verna estate is the largest manufacturing park in Goa, but workers have to rely on their personal vehicles or on company transportation to get to their workplace.While the larger industries, like pharmaceutical firms and MNC engineering plants, have their own bus transportation, smaller manufacturing units do not provide any transportation.
This prompted the Verna Industrial Estate Association and the Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) to ask the govt to start a bus service.“A fare of Rs 10 has been fixed for the service. The GIDC will provide viability gap funding to support operations,” said GIDC chairman.GSIA president Pradip da Costa said that the bus service addresses a long-pending demand of the industry. He said that the early morning bus service will benefit workers reporting for the 7am shift and will improve workforce movement across Verna, especially for women employees. He said that additional buses will be required to meet the demand.However, the GIDC said that the bus service has been launched as a pilot service and will be reviewed based on operational performance and feedback.
