PANJIM: The Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) managing director Derrick Neto Pereira said that around 48 electric buses, which were supposed to ply on seven routes in the capital city on trial basis starting January 19, will now happen in the first week of February.
Speaking to reporters, Pereira said, “New bus stops have been constructed. However, approval from them is yet to be given. Once they are approved, we will put the Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) component there and start the trial run. The trial run will start from the first week of February. Once the trial run is successful then we will start the operation.”
Last month, the State government had issued a notification under which a fleet of 60 buses, including big, mini electric vehicles, mini diesel driven and micro medical buses and electrical buggies, owned by the KTCL were set to replace the 57-odd private ones playing in and around the capital city, under the Smart City Mission.
As per the notification, the Smart buses introduced by KTCL on these routes will be colour coded as per the route.
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-motorized 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.
Stakeholders had been asked to submit their objections, if any, to the notification within a period of 30 days.
On November 14 last year, the KTCL had initiated operation of two 26-seater electric vehicles in the capital city under the Smart city project.
Meanwhile, All Goa Private Bus Owners Association general secretary Sudeep Tamhankar has said that he had received the assurance from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that concerns raised by him regarding private bus owners, whose livelihood will be affected due to the government decision, will be looked into.
