Chandigarh:Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal today launched the Electric City Bus Service for Panchkula and Karnal. On this occasion, the Chief Minister announced that the electric city bus service will be free for the first seven days.
While virtually addressing the program, the Chief Minister said that since today marks the festival of Mahashivratri, efforts should be made to ensure that the electric city buses pass near the Shiva temples of the city so that devotees can also benefit from the service.
He also extended congratulations to the people of Panchkula and Karnal on the commencement of the city bus service.
On this occasion, Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sh Gian Chand Gupta and Mayor Sh Kulbhushan Goyal from Panchkula, as well as MP Sh Sanjay Bhatia and MLA Sh Ram Kumar Kashyap from Karnal, also participated through a virtual medium.
Currently, 5 buses each have been incorporated into the electric city bus service in Panchkula and Karnal, with plans for additional buses to join the fleet soon. The fare for these 45-seater electric buses has been set at Rs 10 for the first 5 kilometers, followed by an increment of Rs 5 for every three kilometers thereafter.
The route of the city bus service will be tailored to accommodate the demands and needs of the city's residents. Moreover, the city bus service will be gradually expanded to neighboring towns in a phased manner. To date, 375 buses have been procured.
Manohar Lal said that facility of city bus service had already been introduced in Panipat and Yamunanagar. Following today's launch of the electric city bus service in Panchkula and Karnal, similar services will soon commence in five additional cities, namely Ambala, Sonipat, Rewari, Rohtak, and Hisar.
It is worth noting that during his budget address for the year 2023-2024, the Chief Minister announced the initiation of city bus services in 9 municipal corporations of the state and Rewari city.
He further highlighted that the roadways fleet has currently expanded from 3083 to 4651 buses, with an additional 562 buses operating under the kilometer scheme.
The newly launched electric bus service introduces zero-emission vehicles that are projected to save approximately 4,20,000 liters of diesel over a span of 10 years. Beyond facilitating easy transportation for the people of the state, this initiative will significantly contribute to mitigating environmental pollution.
These buses are powered by fast-charging lithium-ion batteries and come equipped with a real-time Passenger Information System (PIS), panic buttons for emergencies, vehicle location and tracking systems, CCTV cameras, public address systems, stop request buttons, fire detection systems, and alarms, among other modern features. These buses have been supplied by the electric bus manufacturer JBM Auto.
With a fleet of state-of-the-art, air-conditioned electric buses, this Rs 2450 crore project spanning over 12 years represents a significant stride toward achieving a pollution-free environment.Principal Secretary of Transport Department, Sh Navdeep Singh Virk and other officials were also present on this occasion.