Over the last few weeks, a team from Tata Motors has been working around the clock to ensure that a transport roadmap is in place for Vibrant Gujarat. This three-day event kicks off in Gandhinagar on Sunday.
The venue, Mahatma Mandir, has already set the ball rolling with Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas which will see Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in the list of high-profile names along with NRIs who form the core target group. The date, January 9, is especially symbolical this year since it marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa.
Thousands of visitors are expected to attend these events over the next five days which will call for top-class logistics to be in place. The most critical component is to assure quick transport from a part of Gandhinagar (where their cars are parked) to Mahatma Mandir. They would also need to be ferried within the gigantic complex which will showcase a host of stalls and exhibits.
It is here that the Tata Motors team has organised 10 new buses for these two events which will carry people to and fro through the day. In the process, the distance covered will be at least 200 kilometres for this virtual non-stop service which is free of charge. The crowds are expected to be overwhelming and the buses will just need to keep operating constantly.
The fleet comprises three air-conditioned Divo buses earmarked for CEOs and other VIPs. In addition, there are three Starbus and four Ultra models to cater to the other visitors. While the Divo buses have been sourced from Automobile Corporation of Goa, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, the other models are part of the Dharwad assembly line for the Marco Polo models.
“These brand new buses were brought over to Gandhinagar for this mega event. They have been cleaned and polished with their interiors perfumed and curtains dry cleaned,” an official said.
The Tata team has sourced 30 drivers for this exercise who will work in three shifts each day. They have been trained to greet passengers and extend basic courtesies as part of the etiquette framework. The drivers have also been told to shave daily and turn out neatly in the uniforms given to them.
The buses reach Gandhinagar at 6.30 am and operate till after 8 pm. After this, they head out to the depot for cleaning and fuelling so that they are as good as new the following day. “For something as big as this, we just cannot leave anything to chance especially when there are so many high profile visitors involved,” the official added.
The event is extra special this year thanks to the presence of Narendra Modi. As Chief Minister of the State for over a decade, it was he who had created the Vibrant Gujarat concept largely intended to attract investors by the droves. The turnout this year is expected to be the highest in recent times with some of the biggest names in industry and politics coming from India and across the world.
From Tata Motors’ point of view, Gujarat has a special place in its automotive roadmap. It was Modi who first invited Ratan Tata to relocate the Nano map in Sanand when things went completely out of control in the original plant at Sanand, West Bengal. The red carpet was virtually laid out for Tata Motors and paved the way for other automakers like Ford, Peugeot and Honda Motorcycle to follow suit and change the profile of Gujarat as an automotive hub.
More recently, Tata Motors showcased its support for Ahmedabad’s bus rapid transit system by delivering 123 Marco Polo buses. The city is often cited as the best example of an effective BRTS model which aims at encouraging people to opt for public transport and leave their cars behind at home.