Prototype electric bus model arrives in Jammu; trials to begin soon

Jammu, Jul 25 (PTI) A prototype electric bus model arrived here, and Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) is likely to commence its trial run soon, an official said on Tuesday.

The twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar are slated to receive a fleet of 200 electric buses under smart city projects.

Tata Motors will supply, operate and maintain 100 electric buses each in Jammu and Srinagar, while Chalo Mobility will provide consumer technology solutions, such as electronic ticket issuing machines (ETIMs), an Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS), a mobile app with mobile tickets and mobile passes platform, smart cards platform and cloud-based hosting.

“The trials will start soon after the prototype (model of E-bus) is officially received,” said an official of JSCL, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) constituted in August 2017 for the implementation of smart city development projects.

He said the operation of these eco-friendly buses will commence after successful trials and exploring the feasibility of routes and other modalities.

These electric buses are fitted with cutting-edge features, such as a panic button, location system, CCTV, stop request system and other security-related features, the official said.

The process also includes establishing a national common mobility card-compliant digital ticketing solution in both smart cities, he said, adding this would eliminate the need for paper tickets and make contactless ticketing a greener option.

“It will further play a significant role in saving on ticketing costs for the authority,” he said.

He also mentioned that through mobile applications, passengers will get real-time tracking of buses, congestion status and expected time of arrival.