Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 2 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday distributed appointment letters in Gandhinagar to 3,084 driver and 1,658 helper cadre candidates of the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, according to the chief minister's office.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Road Transport Corporation bus drivers reach every citizen. By ensuring safe travel and punctuality, they carry a major responsibility and play an important role in shaping the state government's image.

He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured development that delivers essential services such as roads, electricity, water, healthcare, and bus services to every citizen. He called the newly appointed candidates the guardians of the state's transport system.

He said that the Prime Minister has transformed the transport sector, with modern buses including AC Volvos are today operating in the service of citizens. He added that the responsibility of maintaining these modern facilities rests with bus drivers and helpers.

The Chief Minister said that citizens travel with confidence, relying on ST drivers. By ensuring timely travel, they fulfil a social responsibility along with public service. He appealed that bus drivers, who are closely connected with the lives of citizens, should remain physically and mentally healthy, perform their duties with mental balance in all situations, and work with a positive and balanced approach to life.

He said that buses equipped with GPS can now be tracked by citizens on mobile phones, and therefore bus drivers must ensure punctuality. The Chief Minister added that cleanliness is a priority in the Prime Minister's vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 and urged the newly appointed staff to maintain cleanliness in the state's modern buses.

Furthermore, on this occasion, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Jan Sarthi Driving School. In the programme, the Chief Minister distributed appointment letters to four candidates and inaugurated the Jan Sarthi Driving School established by the Transport Corporation.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated employees who serve citizens 24x7 throughout the year. He said that while the world celebrates festivals, several departments in Gujarat never pause.

He noted that, like hospitals, police, fire services, and the electricity department, ST Corporation employees work day and night in all conditions, and their dedication is a strong pillar of good governance in Gujarat, which he wholeheartedly saluted.

Highlighting the state government's efficiency, he said that the recruitment of 3,084 drivers and 1,658 helpers has further strengthened the Corporation.

Setting future transport goals, he said that the ST Corporation, which serves about 24 lakh passengers daily, had set a target of 27 lakh passengers by 2025 and has achieved it within time. The government now aims to increase this number to 30 lakh by 2027. According to a study, he said that achieving this target will reduce highway load, traffic congestion, and pollution, with an estimated reduction of about 25,000 four-wheelers and 1 lakh two-wheelers.

He also noted that 9 lakh students currently use ST buses, with a target to increase this to 10 lakh, which would benefit another one lakh families and help secure the future of one lakh children.

Informing about the work carried out by the ST department in 2025, he said that in just one year, 1,714 new robust buses have been introduced into public service. These include 962 Super Express, 272 Semi-Luxury, 350 Midi buses, along with 30 Volvo and 100 AC buses. Along with this, for passenger convenience, 27 new bus stands were inaugurated in 2025, and foundation stones for 29 new projects have also been laid for the future.

He appealed to all employees to pay special attention to maintaining cleanliness in buses and bus stands.

On this occasion, Minister of State for Transport, Pravin Mali, said that under the leadership of the Chief Minister and the guidance of the Deputy Chief Minister, the ST Corporation has achieved many new milestones. In the coming times, the ST Corporation will move towards 100 per cent digital payments, which will relieve citizens from the need to carry change.

'In the last approximately 40 days, under the guidance of the Chief Minister, appointment letters have been given to more than 45,000 candidates for government jobs across various departments. Following the Prime Minister's initiative to conduct fully transparent examinations nationwide to enable more candidates to secure government jobs, Gujarat is implementing the same system under the leadership of the Chief Minister. As a result of good governance, youth from the farthest regions are also clearing examinations and joining government service,' Mali added.

Principal Secretary of the Ports and Transport Department, Hareet Shukla, while welcoming all, lauded the transparent, merit-based appointment process for approximately 4,700 newly joining karmayogis.

The event was attended by Mayor Mira Patel, MLAs Rita Patel, Jayanti Patel, Balrajsinh Chauhan, leader Ashish Dave, Chief Secretary M K Das, Vice-Chairman and Administrative Managing Director M. Nagarajan, and a large number of newly appointed candidates. (ANI)