Travel will now be easier for people living in the Tricity, including Chandigarh. The central government has approved a project for 328 PM e-buses for Chandigarh. With these buses, the total number of electric buses in Chandigarh will reach 428.
This will benefit approximately 80,000 people in the Tricity who commute daily for employment or education. The existing buses in the city are completing 15 years of service, and their road life is also coming to an end. This makes this project crucial.
Administrator Praises Union Minister
Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria said that it is crucial to gradually convert all buses to electric buses so that the ‘City Beautiful’ can soon become a carbon-free city. He also praised the efforts of Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The Administrator stated that the Ministry and Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) provided excellent support in expediting the issuance of Letters of Confirmation of Quantity (LOCQ) and Letters of Award (LOA) for the 100 previously approved e-buses, ensuring timely completion of the project.
The buses will be completed in two years.
In July this year, the Administrator spoke with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Delhi. During the meeting, he raised the issue of approving 328 electric buses for Chandigarh under the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Seva Yojana.
He explained that the old diesel buses of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) and Chandigarh City Bus Service Society (CCBSS) will be 15 years old between 2025 and 2027, requiring replacement with electric buses. Therefore, approval for these buses should be expedited as per the GCC model.