Masroor Ahmad
SRINAGAR: After a long waits and facing hardships regarding with public transport system ,the residents of Srinagar will now experience a government-run public transport system. Although this was a long pending issue but it was ignored by the previous governments at the ground level.
A decision has finally been taken by the authorities to end the public transport problem in Srinagar city and the first batch of 20 e-buses will be introduce by end of this month. According to officials these buses will undergo prototype testing throughout the city to assess their performance and identify any necessary modifications.
According to the officials, “Before putting the e-buses into full operation, the smart city need permission from various departments to run them in different parts of the city.” The buses come in two sizes, 9 meters and 12 meters long, and are expected to cover a minimum distance of 200 kilometers daily.
To enhance the city’s public transport system, the government plans to launch a fleet of 100 Smart e-Buses in December this year under the Srinagar Smart City Project, and the first 20 buses are expected to arrive by end of this month.
These “Smart Buses” will come equipped with modern features like real-time tracking, on-board Wi-Fi, and other services for the convenience of passengers. Officials of the Srinagar Smart City Project, stated that by December, the city will have 100 Smart Buses in operation, with the first 20 arriving by the end of July.
The primary goal of this initiative is to encourage more people to use public transportation, thereby reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality. It is expected that the introduction of e-buses will lead to savings on ticketing costs. Additionally, these electric buses will contribute to a cleaner environment and will be equipped with advanced security features such as a panic button, location system, CCTV, and stop request system.
Last year, an MoU was signed with TATA Motors Ltd. and Chalo Mobility Pvt. Ltd. for the deployment of 200 electric buses in the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
Charging stations for these eco-friendly buses have been set up in Pantha Chowk. The people of Srinagar are hopeful that the introduction of e-buses will greatly improve their commuting experience and offer relief from the challenges they currently face in transportation.