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Ludhiana to get 100 e-buses soon
The municipal corporation is set to initiate the tendering process for the first batch of e-buses in October
In a step towards environmental sustainability, Ludhiana city will soon get 100 electric buses as part of the Prime Minister’s E-Bus Sewa Yojana.
The municipal corporation is set to initiate the tendering process for the first batch of e-buses in October. Officials are directed by the government to submit the bus routes, identification of bus depot location, area and existing schedule of private bus operators by September 25 to the chief secretary.
The civic body officials have revealed plans to establish four bus depots as charging centres for the upcoming fleet of electric buses in the city. Among these, the department already has two depots at Hambran Road and Tajpur Road, and a third depot location has been identified at Transport Nagar.
The e-buses in Ludhiana will operate on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Under this arrangement, bus operation support will be provided for a period of 10 years, with central assistance offered on a per-kilometer basis.
Officials have outlined the financial framework for this initiative. The tendering amount per kilometer is expected to be approximately ₹50. Under the scheme, ₹22 will be provided as financial support, and an additional ₹10 to ₹15 will be sourced from ticketing revenue. The remaining funding gap will be covered by the funds generated through the Smart City Mission.
The conductors of the e-buses would be appointed by the civic body, while the drivers will be hired by the contractor.
According to the MC, the contractor will be responsible for procuring the buses and maintaining them using the funds received from the department, as specified in the tender. Funds will be generated based on the number of kilometres the buses travel within the city and on specific routes designated by the department.
The MC is in the process of establishing depots and charging points at various key locations along the halt points at identified routes within the city. These depots will have state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the e-bus fleet.
According to officials, these super fat charging points will fully charge the e-bus in 45 minutes and bus can run approximately 250 kilometres.
Paramdeep Singh, additional commissioner of the MC, said, “The existing city bus system operates on 40 routes throughout the city, and the contract for these buses will expire by the end of this year. Starting next year, the e-bus service will operate on 11 identified routes within the city. This transition to an eco-friendly e-bus service is a significant step forward for Ludhiana. It is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in the city and reduce pollution levels.”
The move towards electric buses aligns with Ludhiana’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions, contributing to a cleaner and healthier urban environment, Singh said.
Municipal corporation commissioner, Sandeep Rishi, announced a significant development for the city’s public transportation system.
“In the near future, Ludhiana will introduce approximately 100 electric buses for public transportation. These buses will operate under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, and the tendering process for this project will be conducted online by the Government of India through the municipal corporation. We have already identified the routes and submitted all the necessary project details to the state government for approval,” he said.
