No routes, charging stations: E-bus rollout not so soon

NOIDA: Intercity electric buses are unlikely to hit the roads anytime soon, with the three development authorities yet to chalk out the route plan or set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that is to run the service.Though two operators were finalised earlier this year, the absence of essential infrastructure, including charging stations, depots and upgraded bus stands, threatens to push the rollout further. Currently, the city has no e-charging stations. While Noida has two terminals earmarked in Sectors 82 and 91, the Botanical Garden stand will require charging points before it can handle e-buses. Greater Noida and YEIDA have no depots, meaning both authorities have to build facilities from scratch.Officials said the launch may now be phased across Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) areas, with only a limited number of buses in the first round. YEIDA has proposed starting with about 50 buses, Greater Noida with 15, and Noida with fewer than originally planned.The Rs 675-crore project originally proposed to put 500 e-buses-split evenly between 9-metre and 12-metre models-on 25 routes across Noida, Greater Noida, and YEIDA. Noida is slated to get 300 buses, while GNIDA and YEIDA will get 100 each. Services are meant to run every 10-15 minutes during peak hours.Officials said the rollout will prioritise high-demand corridors to avoid a repeat of the earlier city bus service, which had to be scrapped after suffering heavy losses due to poor ridership.Overall, the project's annual operating cost has been pegged at Rs 370 crore, while fare and advertisement revenue is projected at only Rs 145 crore. This leaves a viability gap of Rs 225 crore. As the proposed fund share structure, Noida Authority alone would need to cover around Rs 107 crore annually.Meanwhile, Travel Time Mobility India Pvt Ltd and Delbus Mobility, the two agencies awarded contracts to run the e-buses, will each run 250 buses under a 12-year gross cost contract (GCC) model. The operators will be paid per kilometre, with the viability gap funding covering the shortfall.However, the SPV-GBN Green Transport Limited-that will have representation from the CEOs and ACEOs of Noida, GNIDA, and YEIDA, is yet to be operationalised, delaying decisions on routes, cost-sharing, and operations.Greater Noida CEO Ravi Kumar NG said deployment must be backed by a demand survey. "If buses are run on low-ridership routes, the subsidy burden will increase for all three authorities. That is why we want a detailed study before the rollout," he said.YEIDA officials, meanwhile, have sought priority for routes connecting the upcoming Noida International Airport with Delhi, Noida, and industrial hubs, positioning the e-bus service as a backbone for regional connectivity.