Chandigarh: The route for procuring 100 e-buses to replace the aging 100 diesel buses of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) is turning out to be a bumpy one. The Chandigarh administration has been pursuing the replacements for more than a year, but the requisite approval from the central govt is still awaited.Earlier this week, secretary transport Diprava Lakra and director transport Praduman Singh met the officers of the ministry of home affairs in Delhi. According to the officers, the MHA officials were positive about the proposal, which will soon pave the way for the tender process for 100 new electric buses. However, for this, the Chandigarh administration will first have to obtain a no objection certificate from the ministry of housing and urban affairs, after which the administration will be able to purchase new buses as a replacement at its own level.The UT administration was to receive 100 e-buses through a central govt tendering process, which has been stuck in legal tangles for more than a year. At the same time, CTU will phase out 100 diesel buses by Nov this year."Under the current circumstances, the administration will float fresh tenders on its own. The terms and conditions will be the same as those set by the central govt. The tender will be floated after approval from the competent authority.

From the start of the tendering process to the delivery of buses, it will take at least six months," said a UT official.The urgency for procuring the buses stems from the fact that out of the 358 diesel buses, 100 will complete their 15-year service limit by Nov this year, and these will have to be phased out. The CTU is the mainstay of the public transport system in the Tricity, with Mohali having no tricity bus service available and Panchkula having a very limited local bus service.

If these 100 buses are taken off the road, there would be a consequent reduction in bus services within the tricity.The process to replace these 100 diesel buses with e-buses started a couple of years ago. "The buses were being purchased under a central govt scheme, and even the tendering process was completed last year. But since then, litigation has plagued the execution of the tender. Even if the tender materialises now, we are still unlikely to get the 100 buses before Nov," said the official. MSID:: 121681666 413 |