For six cities, govt to buy 500 buses including 420 e-buses

JAIPUR: To boost city transportation in six cities, the state government is all set to procure 500 new buses, including 420 electric buses. This is for the first time that the government would run e-buses on city routes.

Officials said that in a recent meeting of the finance department the procurement conditions had been approved and decision is waiting for the final approval at the Chief Minister’s Office. The Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL) – a subsidiary of the local self-government department (LSG)had been asked to float tenders and procure the buses on behalf of the state government.

“These 500 buses are meant for six different cities – Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Ajmer, Bharatpur and Udaipur. However, JCTSL would take the effort of floating tenders on behalf of the government. Once these buses are being procured the local concerned corporations of the three cities (outside Jaipur) would take possession of these buses,” said an official of the LSG department.

Talking to TOI, chairman and managing director of JCTSL – Ajitabh Sharma – had confirmed the development. He said that the corporation had already started the paper works for tender process and would float the tender once the final green signal is obtained.

“The idea of plying e-buses in Jaipur, Kota and Jodhpur is a welcome move. This was necessary considering the growing environmental concerns of these three cities. This is for the first time that government would run e-buses on city routes,” said Sharma.

Out of the 420 e-buses JCTSL would get the lion’s share of 300 buses. Officials stated that the government would procure two types of e-buses as well as diesel buses – one of nine metre in length and the other of 12 metre in length. “Out of the 300 buses in Jaipur, 100 would be of nine metre and 200 would be of 12 metre,” an official said.