PANJIM: After making the city dwellers wait for the electric buses, the State government on Monday launched six air conditioned electric buses (e-buses) to ply on the city’s routes out of the 48 e-buses that were announced for Panjim.
The six buses, which will ply along with private buses, were flagged off by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the presence of Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and MLA and Chairman of Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) Ulhas Tuenkar.
Speaking to reporters, Sawant said along with the electric buses the government is also planning to introduce electric rickshaws and electric bikes for the use of motorcycle pilots as well.
The Chief Minister said the 'Mhaji Bus' scheme is slowly picking up momentum and till date 57 bus owners have joined the scheme wherein Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) operates private buses. He said that reforms will be brought in the transport sector to give better service to the people of the state. The Chief Minister also assured that old buses will not be stopped.
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said that private bus operators were given alternate routes but they did not accept them so it has been decided that to run the buses on the routes along with them.
“Let them also ply. Let the people decide which buses to use,” he said.
KTCL Chairman Ulhas Tuenkar said, “Under the Smart City Mission, we have received 48 buses and they will start running in the city within next two months. As many as 100 buses are to arrive in Goa. However, it will take some time."
However, Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) Mayor Rohit Monserrate said the government should take into confidence the private bus operators who have been in the field for 10-15 years.
"CM has said that he will consult them. However, those working in the private buses cannot be removed suddenly. There has to be mutual understanding and give and take for both," he said.
The Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) Chairman and MLA Ulhas Tuenkar had said last year that 48 electric buses were proposed for the capital city, out of which the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) will pay Rs 38 crore for 22 buses, while, the State government will pay Rs 49 crore for the remaining 26 buses.
The payment was likely to be made from the Rs 300 crore sanctioned by the Government of India for the celebration of 60 years of Goa’s liberation.
As per a government notification, the Smart buses introduced by KTCL on these routes will be colour coded as per the route.
The KTCL will offer services such as QR code ticket, public announcement system (PAS), line tracking of buses at home and bus stop to plan the personal schedule etc.
Standard fare rates of Rs 10 and Rs 20 will be charged to the passengers. The proposed service will be operating stage carriages by buses and mini buses. The stage carriages will comprise of luxury and semi-luxury stage carriages (electric vehicles), electric buggies in non-motorised roads with limited stops or direct from one stop to another. The maximum number of vehicles which will ply at any one time under the scheme is 60 while the minimum number of vehicles which will operate at one time under the scheme is 44, the notification had said.
However, in April this year, the government had deferred its decision to run a fleet of 60 buses owned by Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) in and around the capital city of Panjim under the Smart City project for two months in view of the Lok Sabha elections. The decision was kept on hold till May 9.
The Advocate General, Devidas Pangam, had submitted in the High Court last week that the e-buses will start plying in the city from July 1, 2024.
The High Court is hearing a suo motu public interest petition on the traffic problems in the capital city.