150 New E-Buses to Hit Jaipur's Roads from January, Revolutionising Public Transport

The picture of public transport in the capital is set to change. From January, 150 new e-buses will be seen running on the city's roads. Soon, relief will be provided to the city dwellers who have been troubled by the shortage of buses, overcrowding, and pollution for a long time. With the arrival of these buses, the dependence on diesel buses will also decrease.

Currently, many buses running in Jaipur have become old, and passengers have to wait for a long time on many routes. In such a situation, the new e-buses will directly increase the convenience of common passengers. These e-buses will be specifically deployed on the city's high-traffic routes to benefit the maximum number of passengers. The journey will be more comfortable than before due to low noise, no smoke, and better suspension. This change will be clearly felt by those who commute daily to offices, schools, and colleges.

The new buses will be operated on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. This means that the responsibility of operating and maintaining the buses will lie with a private company, while the right to decide fares and routes will remain with JCTSL. This is expected to provide better control over the regularity and technical condition of the buses. Currently, in the initial phase, operations will be tested, and by March, the entire system will be under the GCC model.

In the first phase, preparations are complete to operate 75 e-buses from the Bagrana depot. The work of charging stations and electricity connections has been completed here, due to which operations are expected to start from January. In the second phase, there is a plan to operate 75 e-buses from the Todi depot. However, the charging and electricity arrangements are not yet complete here. For this reason, there might be a slight delay in the second phase of buses. According to officials, work has been expedited at the Todi depot so that the buses can be put on the road soon.

The arrival of e-buses will also impact the city's pollution levels. Carbon emissions from the transport sector will decrease, and expenditure on diesel will also reduce. The government's focus is now on increasing electric public transport. In this regard, there is a plan to bring in 500 more e-buses, which will include 50 double-decker buses.