e-bus service launched in Sonepat

Krishan Bedi, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, launched the Haryana State Transport Department's air conditioned electric bus city service in Sonepat on Republic Day during the district-level Republic Day programme held in Police Lines on Sunday.

Notably, the five buses reached Sonepat on Thursday evening and the Sonepat Depot authorities held a trial of these electric buses on Saturday. The buses would ply from the Sonepat Depot to Singhu border.

Sonepat is an NCR border district and to curb pollution in the NCR region, the state Transport Department included electric buses in the fleet of Sonepat Roadways Depot. Hundreds of people go to Delhi for their work by buses and trains daily. Besides, the area from Gannaur to Kundli on the NH-44 is being developed as 'New Sonepat' and being turned into a big industrial hub. Under such conditions, the Transport Department is going to launch e-city bus services.

However, the old bus stand is very congested, due to which the department has finalised the site for the new bus stand for only electric buses at the Driving Training Centre at Murthal Chowk on the NH-44.

The main motive of this bus stand is that the buses can easily move from here and a special charging station has been constructed here.

Sanjay Kumar, General Manager, Sonepat Depot, said that electric buses reached on Thursday evening and on Friday their work regarding registration was done.

As many as 12 conductors have been appointed for these buses and they would provide tickets to the passengers through e-ticketing machines.

“These GPS-equipped low-floor buses are air-conditioned due to which the passengers can travel easily. These have digital display systems and information on bus stands would be given to passengers through announcement systems,” said the General Manager.

The minimum fare of these buses would be Rs 10 and slab has been prepared according to the distance.

“The route for the electric buses has been finalised, which is from Sonepat bus stand to Singhu Border. The bus, after leaving the depot, which is in Murthal would reach the Sonepat bus stand via DCRUST, Murthal, Maharaja Aggarsen Chowk, Sector 14, Murthal stand. After that, the bus will leave for the Singhu border via Mam Bhanja chowk, Sikka Colony, Tulip Hospital, Civil Hospital, Truck Union, Fazilpur village turn, Sidhartha Enclave, Sector 3/5 chowk, Diwan Farm, Fims Hospital, Jat Joshi, Bahalgarh Chowk, Rai bus stand, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Ethnic India Resort, Sports University Haryana, Biswa Mile, Badkhalsa, Pritampura, Rasoi, Nangal, TDI Mall, Pyau Manyari, Kundli Industrial Area and Lakhmi Pyau,” he said.

He said that a successful dry run of all five buses had been done on Saturday.

First, electric buses would start from the Murthal depot at 6.02 am and the last bus would run from the Singhu border at 8.40 pm daily, he said. Once the bus leaves from the Murthal Depot (charging station), it would go there only at the time of termination, the GM said.