Gurgaon: The induction of the first batch of 50 electric buses into the city’s public transport fleet has been postponed after Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar became unavailable for the planned flag-off ceremony with chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday, a senior govt official said.The ceremony was also meant to mark the inauguration of the newly constructed bus depot in Sector 48. Saini is scheduled to visit the city to attend a grievance redressal committee meeting, but the proposed ceremony could not go ahead as planned.The 50 buses are part of a planned fleet of 100 electric buses aimed at strengthening the city’s public transport network. GMCBL is currently operating them on a trial basis to assess their performance under local conditions.
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A GMCBL official said the trial runs are intended to assess the buses’ suitability for the city’s road network, traffic conditions and passenger demand. “The trial runs are being conducted to assess the buses’ battery performance, passenger-carrying capacity and overall efficiency. Attention is also being paid to how the batteries perform on traffic-heavy stretches and how the vehicles respond to uneven and undulating roads,” the official said.The nine-metre-long, air-conditioned buses have a seating capacity of 25 passengers. The trials will cover congested stretches, longer routes and roads with varying surface conditions.“Registration of the e-buses is underway. All buses are currently being operated on a trial basis, and routes and timings have not yet been finalised. We are working on these details, and they will be decided soon,” the official added.The proposed induction comes as the city’s public transport fleet struggles to meet demand. The last expansion took place in 2021, when eight air-conditioned CNG buses were added. Fewer than 150 buses are currently available for operations in Gurgaon.Although GMCBL has around 200 buses in its fleet, nearly 50 are operating in Faridabad following state govt directions. Several buses are also ageing and prone to frequent breakdowns, affecting service reliability and connectivity. The addition of 100 electric buses is expected to increase capacity.Residents of new sectors along Dwarka Expressway have also sought bus connectivity with Delhi Metro stations in Dwarka sectors 21 and 25.“We have requested GMCBL to provide bus connectivity along Dwarka Expressway to Delhi Metro stations in Dwarka sectors 21 and 25, as many people commute between the two cities. Our area has no public transport facility, and we have to rely on private vehicles or expensive cabs. With GRAP restrictions in place, many are struggling to commute because their vehicles do not meet BS-VI standards,” said Sunil Sareen, deputy convener of DXP-GDA.
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