Metro on backburner as Tricity set to get new e-buses circuit

To boost connectivity for the commuters of the Tricity, a new circuit-cum-network of electric buses (e-buses) is all set to come up that will cover Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali. The move comes days after Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar said that in Chandigarh the ridership is not according to the criteria set for operating a Metro. He had also said that the option of a pod taxi can also be explored as it will not impact the heritage of the Union Territory (UT).Officials stated that the e-buses decision intends to provide an eco-friendly public transportation to the residents of the Tricity for travelling hassle-free and in an efficient mode. It was taken after a plan was proposed during a high-level meeting chaired by Khattar and got a go-ahead and approval.The Punjab government had proposed a cluster-based transportation proposal to the central government. They had pointed out the urgent need to have an interconnecting electric bus network so as to be able to enhance the urban transport.A senior official who attended the meeting said: “At the time of the visit of the union minister, we had briefed about the need to have a circuit that connects each of the cities in the Tricity with the electric buses”. This initiative, officials said, falls under PM E-Bus Service, a central government scheme, to boost the number of electric buses in urban areas. Once approved, people shall be able to travel through the e-buses to Panchkula, Mohali, Chandigarh, Zirakpur, Derabassi, Kharar, Kurali, New Chandigarh, and Kalka. Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) has already requested the Centre for 100 new e-buses to replace its diesel buses.At the moment, Chandigarh has a network of 80 electric buses. The diesel buses would gradually be phased out.