Before giving the presentation, the company had conducted a survey on the feasibility of e-buses on four routes. However, the GDA is yet to finalise the financial model for the project.
To improve public transport and pollution level in city, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is planning to introduce intra-city electric buses in the city. A private company has already demonstrated its plan of operation in front of GDA officials on Wednesday.
Before giving the presentation, the company had conducted a survey on the feasibility of e-buses on four routes. However, the GDA is yet to finalise the financial model for the project.
“The concept of introducing e-buses is rooted in the recent UP Investors Summit where Essel Infraprojects Ltd signed a MoU with the state government and had committed an investment of Rs 3,000 crore for introducing e-buses in the state and NCR,” said Ritu Maheshwari, vice chairperson, GDA.
“The company was asked to prepare a report to assess the feasibility of plying e-buses within the city and on Wednesday their representatives presented the report,” added Maheshwari.
The company has shortlisted four routes according the survey report. These routes are Dilshad Garden to Lal Kuan (Red Line), Kausambhi to Morta (Blue line) Kausambhi to Lal Kuan (Green line) and Bhowpura to Morta (Brown Line).
As per the plan, the Dilshad Garden to Lal Kuan (Red Line) route will have 15 stops and it will pass through Prakash Industrial Area, Sahibabad Junction, Mohan Nagar, New Bus Stand, Naya Ganj, Old Railway station and Daulatpura in its 15 Km stretch.
As far as Kausambhi to Morta (Blue line) is concerned, the 18-km route will have 18 stops and the bus will travel through Vaishali, Vasundhara, Mohan Nagar, New Bus Stand, Old Bus stand, Hapur Chungi and Raj Nagar Extension.
Kausambhi to Lal Kuan (Green line) route will be 20-km long and it will have 14 stops. The e-buses will pass through Vaishali, Sahibabad Industrial area, Vasundhara, Indirapuram, Shipra Sun City, Vijay Nagar, ABES College and Lal Kuan.
Bhowpura to Morta (Brown Line) route will be 19-km long and it will have 15 stops in total. E-buses on this route will pass through Hindon Chowk, Mohan Nagar, New Bus Stand, Patel Nagar, Raj Nagar and Raj Nagar Extension.
“The routes have been selected keeping in mind to boost last mile connectivity as it is evident from the stop overs that have been proposed” said an official from Essel Infraprojects.
“To my mind, e-buses is the need of the hour especially in Ghaziabad’s context which had earned dubious distinction of the most polluted city in the country during last winter and vehicular pollution has emerged as one of the major factor in contributing to high level of pollution and e-buses promises to change that status” added the official.
“It is in a very initial phase and there are lot of rough edges that needs to be thrashed out and major one being financial model that would be adopted,” Maheshwari further said.
