Noida: Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) will launch 15 electric buses on four routes connecting the city areas with Noida International Airport next month. The routes will link key locations such as Gaur Chowk, Surajpur, Pari Chowk and other prominent areas in Greater Noida. The service will initially run for six months at an estimated cost of Rs 1.8 crore, and will be extended depending on the ridership and demand.GNIDA CEO Ravi Kumar NG said that the initiative is being driven by the need for an environment-friendly public transport system in view of the airport becoming operational. “There is a growing demand for sustainable urban mobility as the airport will soon start operations. We have decided to launch 15 electric buses, which will be funded by the Authority and operated by UP Roadways,” he said.As per the plan, the first route will connect Char Murti Chowk, also known as Gaur Chowk, to Noida International Airport in Jewar via Surajpur T-point and Pari Chowk. The second route will also link Gaur Chowk to the airport but will pass through other Greater Noida sectors, also covering the Govt Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS).The third route is proposed from Makoda roundabout to the airport via Knowledge Park and Sector P-7, while the fourth route will connect Sector 16 to the airport through Tilapta, Swarn Nagri, Yatharth Hospital and Gautam Buddha University.Four buses will operate on each of the first three routes, while three buses will ply on the fourth route.Commercial operations are scheduled to begin at the Noida International Airport on June 15, marking the launch of a second civil aviation hub in the Delhi-NCR region. IndiGo is set to operate the inaugural flight, followed by services from Akasa Air and Air India Express in the initial phase.With around 45 days remaining before operations begin, efforts to strengthen ground connectivity to the airport have also gathered pace.Yamuna Authority plans to introduce five hydrogen-powered buses between Pari Chowk and the airport. UP Roadways will operate bus services at a frequency of every 30 minutes from Pari Chowk and hourly from Noida City Centre. Additionally, state-run buses will connect the airport to cities such as Dehradun, Haridwar, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Delhi’s Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar and New Delhi railway station.
