With the introduction of 10 new electric buses, residents are now getting the facility of air-conditioned buses on 17 local routes.
Haryana Transport Minister Anil Vij said Ambala Cantonment had become the first city in the state where all 25 local service buses were eco-friendly, electric and air-conditioned. These buses had made local commuting significantly easier for the residents of Ambala. These services were currently operating on 17 routes.
He was addressing a gathering near the PWD Rest House in Ambala Cantonment before flagging off 10 new electric air-conditioned buses added to the local bus service fleet, on Saturday evening.
Vij said new modern bus terminals at Pipli, Sonepat and Gurugram would be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
He informed that the Gurugram bus terminal would be constructed near the metro station so that passengers coming out of the metro station could immediately access electric air-conditioned bus services nearby.
He further stated that work was also progressing on several other incomplete bus terminals, which would be completed at the earliest and dedicated to the public.
He said local bus services had remained suspended in the city for nearly 20 years. After taking charge of the department, he restarted the local bus service from November 1, 2024. Continuing this initiative, 10 more new electric AC buses had now been introduced. With this addition, the total number of electric air-conditioned buses in Ambala had reached 25, providing major relief to commuters, especially during the summer season.
Vij said that since the resumption of the local bus service, it had generated revenue of Rs 4 crore and nearly 22 lakh passengers had benefited from it.
After flagging off the new buses, Vij boarded one of the buses and travelled along with party workers to experience the service.
Vij also said the Transport Department was working on a bus tracking system. Just as passengers at airports could know the exact arrival time of flights, a similar system would allow passengers to track buses in real time and know their expected arrival. A dedicated mobile application had also been developed for this purpose. Through the app, passengers would be able to check the location and timing of buses directly from their mobile phones.
He added that the system would also monitor whether bus drivers were deviating from assigned routes. If any driver attempted to take a bus away from its designated route, the warning system would immediately detect it and a clarification would be sought from the driver through the system itself. Similarly, if a bus bypasses the bus stand or takes a flyover route improperly, the system would identify the activity. Vij said he believed this could become the first such model in India.
The Transport Minister further said efforts were also being made to provide nutritious food facilities for passengers at bus stands. Similar to the way IRCTC operates across India for railway services, a corporation would be established under the Transport Department to manage quality food facilities at bus terminals.
