Odisha's 'Mo Bus' service honoured with UN Public Service Award

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Wednesday honoured an Odisha-based public transport service with the UN Public Service Awards for their role and efforts in aiding the world recover better from COVID-19. Mo Bus, Capital Region Urban Transport India is one of the top 10 global initiatives honoured with this prestigious award.

At a virtual celebration organised by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Wednesday, ten initiatives from Brazil, Canada, India, Ireland, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Ukraine were recognized for their innovative public service delivery with the award. These winning innovations were recognized as better ways to help the world recover from the global pandemic, keep children safe, advance gender equality, and protect life below water.

Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs announced the UN Public Service Award winners of 2022 at a virtual event organized to observe the United Nations Public Service Day.

Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Services was created in 2010 to manage and operate the bus services on intra-city as well as inter-city routes in Bhubaneswar and between Bhubaneshwar, Puri, Cuttack and Khurda. According to its website.

On May 4, 2018, BPTS transformed into the Capital Region Urban Transport, (CRUT), with the idea to reorganise the public transit services in the city. "It is the primary agency providing public transit services within the capital city of Bhubaneswar and in its neighbouring cities of Cuttack and Puri," he said.

Among the innovations recognized by the UN includes a fishing village in Thailand that uses drone technology to save life below water; community centres in Brazil that help keep children off the streets; transparent electronic public auction systems in Ukraine; and the implementation of equal pay for women and people from disadvantaged communities in Canada.

Each of this year's winners has implemented new solutions to serve the people as they pursue Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Successful ventures have influenced ICTs and digital government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrated the resilience and innovation of public institutions in times of crisis.

The UN Public Service Awards recognise excellence in public service delivery that promotes effectiveness, transparency, and inclusiveness to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

With PTI inputs