Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Trial runs of Bhopal's electric buses under the PM eBus Sewa Scheme will begin on Monday, marking a significant step towards the city's transition to sustainable public transport.
In the first phase, 10 e-buses will operate without passengers on the Coach Factory-Obedullaganj route for five consecutive days to assess their technical and operational performance.
Even before the formal trials, the newly arrived e-buses saw their first official deployment on Sunday during the Madhya Pradesh Council of Ministers' meeting in Jagdishpur. Six buses were used to transport cabinet ministers, senior administrative officials and staff to and from the venue.
Passenger trials on 3 routes
According to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), passenger trials will begin after the initial technical testing is completed.
The buses will be tested on three routes - Coach Factory to Obedullaganj, Phanda to Mandideep and Bairagarh to Katara Hills.
During the trials, officials will evaluate charging intervals, braking performance, GPS-based tracking, operational systems and overall route feasibility before commercial operations begin.
100 e-buses planned for Bhopal
Bhopal is set to receive 100 electric buses under the PM eBus Sewa Scheme, of which 21 have already arrived. Each fully air-conditioned bus has a seating capacity of 25 passengers and can travel 180 km on a single charge.
The buses are equipped with modern passenger amenities, including passenger counting systems, digital ticketing, GPS tracking, passenger information displays, CCTV surveillance, panic buttons, fire alarms, automatic doors and hydraulic platforms for persons with disabilities.
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"Technical trials for the e-buses are commencing on Monday. In the first phase, all technical and operational parameters will be tested without passengers. Following this, trials involving passengers will be conducted on three routes before regular operations begin,"
Anju Arun Kumar, additional municipal commissioner
