Noida: Noida Authority is planning to add 225 electric buses to its existing fleet of 100 and set up bus stops across the city to strengthen public transport. The expanded fleet will allow new routes to be introduced, connecting more sectors and villages.Ridership has also risen sharply, with around 1.5 lakh passengers travelling on e-buses in July and 3.4 lakh in Aug. Officials said the buses are generating around Rs 5 lakh in revenue per day.Noida CEO Krishna Karunesh said the new buses will be added to the existing fleet in three to four months. “Around 125 of these will be operated by UPSRTC, while 100 buses will ply under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. We are also conducting a survey to identify locations where bus stops need to be developed,” the CEO said.Under the GCC model, the govt/Authority controls the bus network, while a private company operates and maintains the buses.UPSRTC operates the city bus service in coordination with Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna authorities in the district — with the authorities deciding routes, fares, timings and other operational aspects.In Noida, the buses currently operate on five routes originating from the Botanical Garden bus stand and terminating at Gaur Chowk and Ek Murti in Greater Noida West, Noida International Airport, Sector 62, Surajpur Collectorate and Anand Vihar in Delhi. Buses operate from these stops at 20-minute intervals.With the increase in fleet size, new routes will be introduced to connect more sectors and villages. Noida has also issued a helpline number (1800-180-2877) for residents to submit suggestions and complaints.“The bus service has made commuting easier and affordable. But the network needs to be expanded further. More buses, fixed timings and properly marked bus stops would reduce waiting time. At present, besides the Botanical Garden bus stand, I do not find any other bus stand in the city and people do not know where they can find buses,” Gaurav Kumar, a commuter, told TOI.He said that once the bus network is good and reliable, people will prefer to use it instead of taking personal cars, autos or cabs for last-mile connectivity.Chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched the city bus service on June 12 with 100 buses — 50 in Noida and 25 each in Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway area. These buses also connect to Noida International Airport.Since the fleet hit the roads, however, commuters have pointed out several struggles, with the absence of designated stops along these routes emerging as the biggest issue. Many commuters along these routes have complained about a lack of a timetable or any relevant information, which makes planning commutes harder for the students and workers who regularly take these routes.While four dedicated shelters have been built in the city, they remain largely unused so far.A previous TOI report highlighted the chaos at the Botanical Garden bus stop, which is the starting point for at least four routes in Noida. Street vendors were found to be encroaching on the premises while overflowing drains created unhygienic conditions. Autos, e-rickshaws and private buses parked along the stop only added to commuters’ struggles here.Officials TOI spoke to at the time said that they were still fine-tuning operations and that the infrastructure would take a little more time.
