Electric-Powered TMT Buses may hit City Roads by May End

24th Apr, 2018

THANE : If all goes as planned then Thaneites may be able to get a cool and comfortable ride in the much awaited electric-powered buses by the end of summer season. Officials said that the Mumbai-based contractor has made adequate arrangements to ensure that at least two buses hit the road by May end, after completing all necessary road compliance tests.

The TMC has been receiving flak over the delay in the induction of these electric buses in the TMT fleet since the last two years. Now, it has finally decided to induct at least two of the 10 buses by May end. With this, commuters will be ensured a comfortable journey in an eco-friendly way.

A meeting was held with TMT officials, the contractor and TMC officials recently. Another meeting will be held soon to finalize the route of the new services.

“We are likely induct and operate these electric powered buses on Thane streets by the end of next month. Tentatively, two buses will arrive by May end after passing the mandatory fitness tests and we will later induct them in our fleet. We will hold a meeting soon with TMT officials and the contractor to decide the route and finalize the fares,” said a senior official from the Thane Municipal Corporation.

The electric-powered buses is the brainchild of civic chief Sanjeev Jaiswal and was announced in October 2016 as an eco-friendly travel option for thousands of Thane residents. The buses are likely to run on routes outside the city.

Each of these buses would approximately cost around Rs 1.04 crore and will be sourced and managed by a private operator but will operate under the TMT flagship. The ticket rates will be the same as approved by the Metropolitan Transport Authority. The contractor will bear the cost of these buses and will operate them along with deployment of staff and maintenance of the buses.

The TMC will provide parking space for the buses and charging units and get a share from the advertising revenue earned from the services. The contractor will have the flexibility to choose and provide services inside the buses to attract passengers, including installing portable printers, Wi-Fi facility, besides charging points for select seats in the bus.

Meanwhile, the delay has drawn the ire of passengers and activists who said that if the buses would have been inducted earlier in the fleet then it could have attracted more footfalls, especially in summer as there are less AC services after the BEST fleet has curtailed services.

“There are less AC buses available to travel to Mumbai, especially during peak hours. The TMT is promising to provide buses at the end of summer which will defeat the purpose,” said Sanjay Shinde, a commuter.

 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com