400 e-buses to begin operations in Noida soon
The decision came in a meeting chaired by UP additional chief secretary who is also the industrial and infrastructure development commissioner
NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday directed three authorities — Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) — to procure at least 400 electric buses to run the city bus service, in a bid to improve last mile connectivity in Gautam Budh Nagar.
The service will start in the next three months after the completion of tender-related formalities, said officials.
The decision came during a meeting chaired by Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh who is also the state’s industrial and infrastructure development commissioner.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the comprehensive mobility plan for three urban areas, which do not have a city bus service, causing inconvenience to commuters, said officials.
The mobility plan also includes city bus connectivity to the upcoming Noida airport at Jewar.
“We had deliberations … with the three industrial bodies and decided that there is a need to run a city bus service that offers reliable service to passengers who travel within Noida and Greater Noida. We have directed three authorities to complete all formalities,” said Singh.
The city bus route will cover all key areas including commercial, government offices, economic zones, industrial areas, Noida airport, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, Electronic City in Sector 62 and Delhi borders among others, said officials.
In 2022, the Noida authority had started the process to hire a consultant to prepare a mobility plan for the three cities. The step was taken after the UP government, on May 5, 2022, directed the Noida authority to prepare a regional geographic economic plan that will address shortcomings related to finance, urban mobility, and infrastructure among other aspects.
But that consultant is yet to be hired because the formalities related with this project could not be completed earlier, said officials, adding that now the state government and three authorities want to address local commuting woes by running the city bus service.