Gurugram begins 3-day trial of electric buses on 4 routes

The Gurugram City Bus Ltd (GMCBL) on Monday started a three-day trial of a nine-metre electric buses inducted into the fleet last month to assess its performance under actual traffic and road conditions on four routes in the city, officials said

The Gurugram City Bus Ltd (GMCBL) on Monday started a three-day trial of a nine-metre electric buses inducted into the fleet last month to assess its performance under actual traffic and road conditions on four routes in the city, officials said.

GMCBL, which operates under the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), currently runs 150 CNG buses and is expected to receive 100 more electric buses in batches of 25 over the next three to four months under the PM e-Sewa scheme.

The trial will assess the electric bus’s battery performance and health, passenger-carrying capacity, reliability and adaptability to routes with varying traffic and road conditions, officials said.

“The first trial was conducted on route 212B, with the bus travelling from Basai Chowk to Sheetla Mata Road, Iffco Chowk, Millennium City Centre, Subash Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk and back to Basai Chowk while carrying officials and a load to simulate operational conditions,” the official said.

The bus will also be tested on routes 215B (Gurugram Bus Stand-Dundahera), 134B (Iffco Metro Station-Dhana Morh) and 254B (Gurugram Bus Stand-Pataudi).

A GMDA spokesperson said the air-conditioned bus has a seating capacity of 25 passengers. Particular attention will be paid to battery performance on congested stretches, passenger load capacity and vehicle performance on uneven and undulating roads. “Operational data and feedback generated during the three-day exercise will be analysed to assess the vehicle’s performance, battery efficiency, passenger-handling capability and overall reliability,” the spokesperson said.

GMCBL CEO Vishwajeet Chaudhary said the trial would provide operational insights before a decision is taken on deploying similar electric buses on additional routes. “The assessment will also help identify route characteristics and operational requirements that need to be considered for efficient electric bus operations,” he said.

GMDA CEO PC Meena said the initiative was part of efforts to explore cleaner and more sustainable public transport solutions for Gurugram.