Srinagar: The trial run of first smart bus will be held today in the summer capital.
Srinagar is set to get its first fleet of smart buses this week. Officials said this willl revolutionise public transportation in the city. The buses, which are equipped with state-of-the-art features such as real-time tracking, on-board Wi-Fi, and panic buttons, are expected to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
The first prototype bus has already arrived in Srinagar and will be put to a trial run on Thursday. The remaining buses in the fleet will arrive by the end of July. The buses will ply on 13 important routes in the city, including nine routes within Srinagar and four inter-district routes connecting educational institutions and hospitals.
In total, 100 smart buses will operate in Srinagar under the project. The first 25 to 30 buses are expected to arrive this month, with the remaining buses arriving by December.
General Manager of Planning at Smart City Limited Anuj Malhotra told Greater Kashmir that the prototype of smart bus has arrived and test drive will begin on Thursday. " After that the first fleet of 25 to 30 Smart Buses will arrive in Srinagar by the end of July."
Malhotra said that after this prototype smart bus, the trial run of other buses will also start for 15 days.
"We will check the overall performance of the bus including battery and other functions also. We are also checking the routine scheduling, timing of the buses. Route Scheduling technology ensures that buses are optimally deployed to meet the demand of commuters at any given time, resulting in reduced waiting times and increased efficiency,” he said.
He further said that these Smart Buses will be equipped with features such as real-time tracking, on-board Wi-Fi and other services. “There will be a capacity of at least 25 seats , of which eight seats will be reserved for physically challenged and women," he added.
He said, besides, there will be a hydraulic system for the wheelchairs inside the bus which does not require any support.
"We are discussing bus fares with the Housing and Urban department. Besides DPO's, there will be four charging points in the city and other in interdistrict routes like Baramulla , Anantnag etc," officials said.
The initiative has been taken to encourage more people to use public transportation, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.
Officials of Smart City Limited told Greater Kashmir that apart from reducing pollution levels, the electric buses are also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like panic button, location system, CCTV, stop request system, and other security related features, as was given out on this occasion.
Last year, an MoU was signed with TATA Motors Ltd. & Chalo Mobility Pvt. Ltd. for the deployment of 200 electric buses in the twin capital cities of Jammu & Srinagar.
