Ghaziabad to add 11 new routes with 38 e-buses

Ghaziabad: To offer eco-friendly bus connectivity from Ghaziabad to neighbouring districts and within the state, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is gearing up to introduce an e-bus service for daily commuters. Starting this Sep, a fleet of 38 sleek electric buses will operate on 11 routes, according to an official on Wednesday.Currently, the electric bus service from Ghaziabad is available only on intra-city routes. “However, plans are in place to introduce e-buses for longer distances, ranging from 152 km to 560 km. UPSRTC has finalised 11 routes, including Dehradun, Kasganj, Shamli, Moradabad, Kalagarh, Agra, Mathura, Bareilly, and Rishikesh, for the 38 e-buses that will operate from Kaushambi and nearby bus depots,” said the UPSRTC official.Unlike the intra-city e-buses, which are 9 meters long, these long-distance e-buses will be 12 meters long but will have the same seat capacity, ensuring a hassle-free ride for long-distance commuters.UPSRTC currently operates 400 buses on long-distance routes to destinations like Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, and even neighboring states like Bihar and Uttarakhand, but these buses currently use conventional fuel.“An amount of Rs 6.84 crore will be spent on installing eight charging points with 3 MVA and 5 MVA capacities. A group of 85 bus drivers are undergoing training at UPSRTC depots to operate e-buses. The fare rate will be decided later,” said the official.Meanwhile, UPSRTC is upgrading its bus depots at Kaushambi, Sahibabad, and Old Bus Adda to enhance modern-day commuting experiences.The state-wide redevelopment plan includes revamping two other ISBTs in Ghaziabad — Sahibabad (15,000 square meters) and Old Bus Stand (10,000 square meters), at costs of Rs 161 crore and Rs 62 crore, respectively.“The redevelopment of the ISBT, which falls under its transit-oriented development (TOD) zone due to its proximity to the metro and Namo Bharat networks, is estimated to cost Rs 261 crore. Although it was slated to be completed in 18 months, arranging a temporary bus depot for the period is taking additional time,” the official said.We also published the following articles recently