PANAJI
The intra-city e-bus service launched on July 1 in the capital city has been gaining steam rapidly and is inching towards a staggering 2 lakh users thus far.
Operated by the State-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) the city bus transport is part of the capital's 'smart city' mission being executed by the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) whose officials in-charge of the service claimed that response from passengers has been encouraging.
In 45 days between July 1 and August 14, the e-buses had 1.2 lakh passengers availing the service and IPSCDL officials have indicated that the user graph is still headed north.
Although the data for the two-week period from August 16 till Friday, is yet to be collated, the officials estimated that another 60,000 ticketed users have been added bringing the tally closer to the 2 lakh mark.
The e-bus service was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on July 1, with just six e-buses plying on three routes.
Currently, 19 e-buses have been pressed into service on four routes with another 23 e-buses expected to be gradually added by September 30.
Initially in the month of July, the service had clocked 68,603 passengers. Then in the first 15 days of August, meanwhile, the number of passengers had nearly touched the July figure.
Thus far the 19 e-buses operating on four routes had collectively travelled 43,455 kms from July 1 to August 14 and the number of passengers using the service in a single day peaked on August 8 with 5,602 passengers using the service on that day.
Currently, these e-bus services are operating from the Panaji KTC Bus Stand to Altinho via the Church Square. On a second route the e-buses ply from Panaji Bus Station to Dona Paula along the DB Marg and further to Miramar and on the return trip take the Goa University road to GMC and back via St Cruz to the bus-stand.
A third route serviced by the e-buses is from the bus-stand to Taleigao via the DB Marg, Parade ground, Caculo Mall junction and onward. Three more routes will be serviced once all the 40-odd e-buses are operational by September 30, the officials said.
