NEW DELHI: From pot-holes to pot-boilers, the public transport system is all set for a 70mm makeover, Bollywood style. Instead of stretch limos pulling up at red carpet dos, India’s top stars may soon be seen using city buses.

Or even riding bicycles. All for a cause. The success of the Pulse Polio Mission starring Amitabh Bachchan has prompted a new initiative to involve top stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra for a similar campaign to promote the use of public transport.

Apart from talking viewers into using buses and the metro, the stars may also ride bicycles on dedicated lanes to promote non-motorised transport. The government is setting up a special fund under the national urban transport policy for the purpose.

“We are setting up a fund with an initial corpus of Rs 150 crore for innovative schemes like celebrity endorsements, which can be topped up every year. The idea is to influence city-bred youth to board public transport wherever they can,” a senior government official said.

Private vehicles, he said, need not be used where there is an efficient public transport option available. Also, using the car to ferry a single passenger should be discouraged when there is an alternative, like good quality buses or the metro, he added.

The new star-studded campaign ties in with the urban development ministry’s efforts to pump fresh funds into the sector. The ministry has proposed an investment of Rs 1,32, 000 crore to spruce up the public transportation system in Indian cities. However, the Planning Commission is still to approve the proposal.

“We plan to use this fund in effecting a facelift in the urban transport systems in our cities under NUTP. This would include setting up modern high-capacity bus transport systems, metro rails and mono rails,” the official said.
The government feels when approved, the money will help put in place a clean and efficient alternative to private vehicles.

The improved public transport system will need a bit of Bollywood dazzle to pull in the car users. That’s where King Khan, the Big B and Perky Priyanka come into the picture. Once the funding mechanism and other technical details are cleared, the ministry is expected to touch base with major film stars. The finance ministry is also actively considering the possibility of increasing viability gap funding for urban transport from existing 20% to 30%