very warm welcome to it. The people of the city took pride in the bus service started by the municipality. The seats were spongy and comfortable in the new buses. All the routes started from Lal Darwaja (Bhadra) and the railway station. The route numbers were similar to those of the Morris Company, with minor changes, so that the passengers should not face any problems at that time. Clockwise and anti-clockwise circular routes were started from Lal Darwaja. When the bus service began in 1947, buses were not delivered in requisite number, hence certain buses were hired for a month, to cater for the urgent need, from Gujarat Motors Ltd. on a daily rent of Rs.50. Due to an inconvient body for the city-service, they were stopped as soon as the organization got its own buses. Insurance The third party insurance risk was not covered from the beginning under the Motor Vehicle Act Section 94 (2), therefore the amount equivalent to its premium was decided to be deposited, and Mumbai state government was requested for exemption on the said amount. The request was granted. It was granted that all the municipal transport service staff would get monthly Rs. 5 as a grain rebate. New buses As deliveries were received from the bus dealers, more buses came on the roads. An order was given to General Motors to buy 225 buses in total. Out of that, 143 buses were received up to September 1947. The petrol supply was inadequate in those days, due to government regulations, so the buses on the road were much fewer than was required. However, there was a considerable increase in the number of passengers as compared to private bus-management. In 1947-48, the daily number of passenger were one Lakh, nine thousand. Administration The department was considered as a section of the Municipality before the separation of the transport fund on 1-8-1950. Separate accounts of AMTS service were maintained, taking into consideration the payments released from 1-4-1950 onwards from the municipal office, and accordingly, AMTS estimate Budget-‘B' for 1951-52 was presented in the General Meeting of the Municipal corporation by the transport committee through a standing committee in Dec. 1950. In Jan. 1951, an All India Convention Committee meeting was held in Gujarat Vidyapith, Amdavad. At that time, a bus-stand was erected near Vidyapith in order to assist the crowds gathered to attend to their beloved leaders.