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Time of India
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Free bus scheme to boost ridership, but Vijayawada's bus fleet size stays static
1 2 3 4 Vijayawada:While the RTC authorities estimate that the occupancy ratio (OR) in city buses will grow substantially after the rollout of the Free Bus Scheme from Aug15, no measures are being taken to augment the city bus fleet in Vijayawada to accommodate the anticipated surge in passengers, particularly women. Currently, Vijayawada has around 350 city buses plying its roads, and the fleet is likely to remain the same despite the expected increase in passenger demand following the scheme's implementation. "Vijayawada city will receive 100 electric buses out of 750 e-buses sanctioned to Andhra Pradesh under the PM e-Bus Seva scheme. However, the city bus fleet will remain at 350 as the existing old diesel-run city buses will be phased out under the scrap policy to reduce the high diesel cost burden and limit pollution levels in the city," said APSRTC NTR district deputy chief traffic manager (DyCTM) Sai Charan Teja. All the CNG city buses allocated to Vijayawada under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) were phased out after completing their service life. Currently, all city buses are diesel-run, contributing significantly to air pollution in the city. Vijayawada, falling under the NTR district jurisdiction, operates 163 city ordinary and 106 Metro Luxury services across the Governorpet-1, Governorpet-2, Vidyadharapuram, and Ibrahimpatnam bus depots, while the remaining city buses are operated from Gannavaram and Vuyyuru depots, now under Krishna district. "Currently, the average occupancy ratio (OR) in city buses stands at 60%, and we anticipate the OR to surge to 95% or even 100% after the free bus scheme rolls out for women. To manage the extra passenger rush during peak hours, RTC will rope in private school buses and run auxiliary services," another RTC official explained. "Not inducting new buses into the city fleet will create more traffic chaos and push working men towards purchasing more motor vehicles, significantly choking city roads with pollution and traffic. When regular male passengers who travel daily by city bus find it difficult to get a seat or even a place to stand inside the buses, it will discourage them from using city buses and drive them towards private transport," said M V Anjaneyulu, Secretary of the Tax Payers Association of Vijayawada. gfx Rush Grows, Fleet Stalls Free Bus Scheme to be launched on Aug15, aims at boosting ridership City bus fleet remains static at 350 despite expected demand surge 100 new e-buses to replace old diesel ones, not increase fleet Current 60% occupancy expected to rise to 95–100% post-scheme Private school buses to be used during peak passenger hours Lack of new buses may increase private vehicle use and pollution Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
AICTSL to get 50 new electric buses this month
Indore: Atal Indore City Transport Services Limited (AICTSL) will receive 50 new electric buses by the end of this month. Currently, AICTSL operates 30 electric buses on BRTS corridor and 50 on other city routes. To support these new additions, construction of two electric bus depots has commenced at ISBT Nayta Mundla and Dewas Naka, with financial assistance from both central and state govts. AICTSL on Wednesday held a board meeting, chaired by Mayor and board president Pushyamitra Bhargav, where significant decisions were taken to bolster green mobility and enhance public transportation across the region. "AICTSL is rapidly expanding its intercity electric bus services. Operations for 26 fully-equipped electric buses will soon begin on routes connecting Indore to Ujjain, Bhopal, Khargone, Sendhwa, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Ratlam, Dhar-Mandav, and Maheshwar. The tender process for these routes is already complete," he said. Based on passenger demand, AC luxury bus services will soon commence from Indore to Kota, Mandsaur via Neemuch, Jirapur, and Soyat Kala, following the completion of their respective tender processes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally | Zen Life Mag Undo AICTSL plans to re-invite tenders for connecting Indore to several major cities like Rajkot (via Surat), Raipur (via Nagpur), Jaipur, Gwalior, Kanpur (via Jhansi), Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Pune, Mumbai, Ayodhya, Varanasi, New Delhi, Damoh, Banswara, Bhusawal, and Shahdol. In an effort to introduce double-decker buses, AICTSL had previously invited tenders. As no bidders participated, the board decided that AICTSL/IMC would directly undertake the procurement of double-decker buses. To further enhance last-mile connectivity, discussions were held regarding the future operation of e-bikes in the city. Currently, 'My Bike Project' successfully operates 1,500 bicycles for this purpose. "To strengthen AICTSL's financial standing, various projects are underway. Tenders have been invited for advertising on 42 unipoles installed on AB Road, with plans to install and invite tenders for advertising on unipoles at depots soon," Mayor said. He also announced free travel for all women passengers on all city buses on Raksha Bandhan. The city will get a total of 150 electric buses, in the first phase, through central govt's PM e-Bus Seva scheme. Of these, AICTSL already has 80 buses and 50 more are expected by month-end. The meeting was attended by AICTSL board vice president and divisional commissioner Deepak Singh, director and district magistrate Asheesh Singh, managing director and municipal commissioner Shivam Verma, director and IDA CEO Ram Prakash Ahirwar, and AICTSL CEO Divyank Singh, along with other officials.
