Indore: The overcrowding in I-buses is likely to get reduced as the Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AiCTSL) is expected to 30 new buses by October end, the first time that the strength of the I-bus fleet will be increased since its launch.
At present, the I-buses are plying along the Bus Rapid Transit corridor on AB Road, providing safe and quick transport to over 60,000 people every day.
Even when the entire bus fleet is operational, during peak hours the buses are invariably overcrowded, giving the commuters a tough time. Due to overcrowding the buses also get delayed as they have to stop for longer periods at the bus stops. Ideally, buses should ply every two to three minutes during peak hours but it often gets delayed and runs at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes.
“One can comfortably avoid the traffic and delays of the AB road by travelling in I-bus, but during peak hours, it is difficult to accommodate the rush in the buses,” Sandeep Soni, chief executive officer, AiCTSL, said. The maximum number of vehicles in the fleet is put to work during evening hours, yet the buses are crowded and one has to even wait for two buses to pass by the bus stop on certain days, just to get in.
Soni said that the overcrowding in the I-buses has become a problem in the last couple of years. “Investing in new buses is not easy as it costs a lot of money. Most of the money the company makes comes from the advertisement revenue and not from the fare we charge from commuters,” Soni said.
“To increase our revenue from advertisements, we have installed televisions in bus stops and also the buses and thanks to the revenue generated we will be able to purchase the new buses,” Soni said.
“We floated the tender for new I-buses before elections, but due to enforcement of model code of conduct, the buses could not be ordered in time,” Soni said. The buses were ordered after central elections and now the fleet of 30 buses will be arriving in the city post-Diwali.
The buses are being manufactured by Ashok Leyland. The buses are expected to be better and safer than the present lot of buses, Soni added.
