Gurugram city bus service set to hire 600 more employees for new buses

Presently, the city bus service has sanctioned posts of 580 bus conductors of which 480 posts have been filled through HKRNL.

The Gurugram Metro City Bus Service Limited (GMCBL), a special purpose vehicle of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), has begun the process of recruiting around 600 bus conductors and additional staff, in preparation for the addition of 200 electric buses in the city’s fleet.

Currently, the GMCBL is operating 200 buses, of which 50 are being operated in Faridabad. (HT Photo)

A senior GMDA official said that the proposal to buy 200 buses for Gurugram and Faridabad will be presented in the upcoming meeting of the high powered purchase committee, chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The proposal is likely to get approved.

According to a proposal submitted to the Town and Country Planning Department, the GMCBL has sought Finance Department’s nod to engage 649 new personnel through Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam Limited (HKRNL). The city bus service has also sought approval for the continuation of 612 existing employees.

“It is clarified that GMCBL is generating revenue through ticket sales. Any shortfall between the total revenue and expenditure is being covered by GMDA through Viable Gap Funding (VGF). Therefore, no financial support is required from the Finance Department,” the letter by GMCBL CEO, Vishwajeet Chaudhary said.

Presently, the city bus service has sanctioned posts of 580 bus conductors of which 480 posts have been filled through HKRNL Out of the sanctioned 611 posts, including the conductors, the bus service has filled 477 posts while 134 posts are lying vacant, as per the GMCBL data.

A senior GMDA official said key infrastructures such as bus depot and electricity substations will be completed by end of October. Once the new buses are procured, they will be immediately deployed on different routes.

“The process to hire new staff has been initiated. To operate one bus, there is needs for more than two bus conductors and the manpower will be hired in a ratio that buses can run in two shifts. We are working to build more bus depots across the city to accomodate more buses,” he said.