Electric bus service starts on second route in Ghaziabad

The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) on Monday initiated the second route -- from near Dilshad Garden in Delhi to Govindpuram in Ghaziabad -- for the operation of electric buses in the district

The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) on Monday initiated the second route -- from near Dilshad Garden in Delhi to Govindpuram in Ghaziabad -- for the operation of electric buses in the district. The route will get a total of 11 e-buses while 10 such buses are already under operation between Kaushambi and Muradnagar, officials said, adding that they have also planned to reduce the travel fare.

For the operation of electric buses, the officials have finalised four major routes. (Sakib Ali/HT)

The UPSRTC officials said that the opening of the Dilshad Garden to Govindpuram route will help commuters connect to four distant points in the district. The e-bus service launched on January 4 this year is the first intra-city state-run public transport, and Ghaziabad is scheduled to get 25 of its allotted 50 buses in first phase.

“At present, 10 e-buses are plying on the Kaushambi-Muradnagar route, while we have given five buses for the second route initiated on Monday. This route will get six more buses in a week and the remaining four buses will be operated on a different route,” said AK Singh, regional manager of UPSRTC.

He further said that the UPSRTC headquarters is considering a proposal to reduce the fare rates. “We plan to reduce the fare by up to ₹5. This will help us get more ridership as more people will use the e-buses. The UPSRTC headquarters is likely to take a decision in a week,” Singh added.

At present, the minimum fare is ₹10 while the maximum on any route is ₹40.

For the operation of electric buses, the officials have finalised four major routes which will cover a distance of about 88km per trip. Besides the Kaushambi-Muradnagar route, the other routes include Kaushambi-ALT Centre in Raj Nagar covering a distance of 20km, Dilshad Garden-Govindpuram (20km), and Tila Morh-New Bus Stand (15km).

Residents said that the second route will help passengers travel between Sahibabad and city areas. “This route needs more buses as commuters are forced to use shared autos or use their own vehicle,” said Himanshu Kumar, a resident of Lajpat Nagar in Sahibabad.

On October 5 last year, the Prime Minister had flagged off 75 such buses in Lucknow under the phase 2 of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme for seven UP cities, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Jhansi and Ghaziabad.