In a desperate bid to strengthen the public transport system in Gujarat, the Narendra Modi government has invited South Korea-based Kumho Group of Industries to participate in a joint venture road transport services project in the state.

“We have sent a letter to the Kumho Group through the Indian Embassy in Seoul, inviting the company to help us introduce the bus services project in Gujarat on the lines of the Grey Hound project being implemented in the US. We have also invited them to ink an MoU on this at the coming Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit,” said H K Dash, Principal Secretary (Transport).

Dash said that if the South Korean firm decides to participate in the project, it is likely to bring in specially-designed and user-friendly buses here, adding to the present fleet of over 7,700 state transport buses.

The proposed public transport system project could be implemented on the public private partnership (PPP) model in the state, he said, adding that the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) is still short of about 3,000 buses.

“If Kumho comes here, it will not only help the GSRTC augment its fleet, but also strengthen the bus services network across Gujarat, especially in the rural areas", he said.

Responding to a query, Dash said the invitation to the South Korean firm does not mean that the government has plans to privatise the GSRTC.