Gurugram, March 1 – A. Sreenivas, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority, on Friday chaired a meeting attended by officials of both the departments to discuss the comprehensive revamp of the public transport system in Gurugram and Faridabad.
“The expansion of bus fleet in these metropolitan cities, development of adequate infrastructure such as bus depots and terminals to facilitate seamless bus services, integration with other public transport services such as the Metro, and adopting smart ticketing solutions are among key focus areas, ” Sreenivas said.
“We aim to improve accessibility for citizens by establishing a widespread and robust network of city buses to cater to the evolving needs of the riders in the future. Adoption of a long-term strategy to bring in planned improvements in all aspects of city bus services is being looked into,” he added.
At present, 150 buses of Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) ply in Gurugram and 50 are plying in Faridabad.
As many as 100 electric buses each are being allotted to both the cities under the PM e-Bus Seva Scheme, which are expected to be added to the fleet by October this year.
The mobility division said that as per the Comprehensive Mobility Plan, 1,025 buses will be required in Gurugram and 595 buses in Faridabad by the year 2031 to cater to the growing population.
The GMDA CEO said that a strategic expansion plan up to year 2031 must be developed for both GMDA and FMDA and the existing gap be gradually filled in a phased manner.
Additionally, the provision of setting up a charging facility for e-buses and conversion of depots into e-friendly depots is to be included in the planning to facilitate quick charging of the electric buses.
At present, the conversion of the existing depot of GMCBL in Gurugram’s Sector-10 into an electric bus charging station is underway.
The GMDA CEO emphasised that integrated connectivity of city bus services with the upcoming Metro corridor in Gurugram will be instrumental in uplifting the utility of public transport services in the city.
The planning of new bus routes and bus queue shelters should be in accordance with the upcoming Metro route in the city which will further boost last-mile connectivity for citizens.
Planning for enhancing road infrastructure via the development of underpasses, flyovers, upgradation of roads, provision of smart parking, etc, were also discussed in the meeting.
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