Srinagar: Authorities today conducted a trial run of electric buses on various routes in the summer capital.
Officials said that the trial run of six Smart Electric Buses was aimed at checking all the systems practically to prepare for formal launch of the service.
They said that the buses that operated on few routes in Srinagar on Thursday are equipped with the best IT facilities to make buses accessible for all types of passengers
Throughout the day, the officials of Smart City led by its CEO were monitoring the service. On the trial run day, the officials said that they had chosen four different routes of Srinagar.
Speaking to the media, CEO Smart City, Athar Aamir Khan said that the service will be soon rolled out for the public and it will make public transport better.
“The aim of the trial run was to check various systems like CCTV cameras and other mechanisms. These systems have already been checked by the relevant authorities, but today, the aim was to check these things practically. The trial run will help us monitor the time taken to travel on routes and passenger flow. These things will later help in formulating best route plans,” Khan said.
He said that each bus is equipped with five cameras, a lift system for wheelchair-bound passengers, and other emergency facilities. He said that many services will be operated through mobile applications with transparency.
“These buses also have a proper heating and cooling system, which will be helpful for weather in Kashmir. There will be an IT based ticketing system with comfortable seats,” he added.
To mention, the buses were operated in Downtown, Batamaloo, Nishat, Dalgate, Pantha Chowk , Karan Nagar and Soura areas on Thursday. The officials said that a full fleet will be procured soon and within a short time the formal rollout of the service will be possible. They said there would be no hike in bus fares, and the system would operate on almost the same rate structure.
