Khattar flags off 25 low-floor hi-tech buses in Gurgaon

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday flagged off 25 low-floor hi-tech buses here during phase-1 roll out of the 'Gurugaman' scheme.

Under the initiative, the Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) will be rolling out 200 such buses in many phases across the city.

Khattar launched the Gurugaman, Gurugram's City Bus Service, at Sector 10 city bus depot.

He said the 25 buses will ply on route 212 from the Sector 10 bus terminal.

The buses are equipped with modern features like Smart Card Ticketing System, Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS), Automatic Bus Vehicle Location System, CCTV cameras, public address system, stop request buttons and wheelchair ramps, Khattar said.

He said the service will run at a frequency of nine minutes during peak hours and 18 minutes during non-peak hours.

To promote digital interface, cashless ticketing have been introduced in the buses and a discount of Rs 2 per ticket will be given to a commuter if he opts for a digital mode of payment, Khattar said.

The buses will cover all major chowks like Basai Chowk, Atul Kataria Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Huda City Centre, Subhash Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk, covering a distance of about 25 kilometres, the chief minister said.

He said bus stops have been set up at strategic points to ensure hassle-free transport service to commuters.

Khattar said 150 bus queue shelters out of the total 453 have been completed. Five bus depots will be constructed under the city bus service, he added.

He said Gurugaman will improve transport service in Gurgaon and facilitate connectivity with neighbouring cities.

In reply to a question about waterlogging at the Hero Honda Chowk here, Khattar said the work on improving the drainage system in the city was underway. He added that it was "natural" to have some difficulties during the rainy season.

"We will overcome these obstacles in a phased manner. In future there is no such problem," he asserted.

The chief minister said he has directed departments concerned to start repair work of roads immediately after the rainy season is over.

There has been excessive rainfall in Gurgaon during monsoon this year because of which there has been waterlogging issues. Necessary steps would be taken to resolve the problem permanently, he said.