JAMMU, NOVEMBER 14: A team from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), led by Bhanu Pratap Singh Bhadoria, Director, Urban Transport, on Saturday visited the under-construction electric bus depot at Bhagwati Nagar to review the progress of infrastructure development under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme and assess arrangements for expanding Jammu’s electric public transport network.
The visiting team also comprised Divya Jain, State Representative, Programme Management Unit (PMU), PM-eBus Sewa.
Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and CEO, Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL), Ayushi Sudan, accompanied the team during the site visit along with Vivek Chopra, Assistant Executive Engineer, and Narinder Singh, Senior Manager (Finance and Revenue) and In-charge Operations, JSCL, besides other officials of JMC and JSCL.
During the visit, the officials were briefed on the ongoing construction of the new depot, its physical and financial progress, and the infrastructure being developed to accommodate the additional electric buses proposed for the city.
The team was informed that Jammu has been allocated 100 additional electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme.
The proposed fleet comprises 12-metre buses and 75 seven-metre buses. While the larger buses are intended to cater to routes with higher passenger demand, the smaller vehicles will provide greater flexibility for operations in congested and narrower parts of the city.
The implementation arrangements for the 25 twelve-metre buses have been taken forward through an agreement with PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Private Limited, while the procurement process for the remaining 75 seven-metre buses has also progressed, with the Letter of Confirmation of Demand (LoCD) issued by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL).
The visiting officials were apprised of the development of the Bhagwati Nagar depot by JSCL, which is being established as a dedicated facility to support the expanded electric bus fleet.
The depot project has a budgeted cost of ₹16.72 crore, comprising ₹15.05 crore in Central Assistance and ₹1.67 crore as the UT share.
The team also reviewed the supporting Behind-the-Meter (BTM) power infrastructure being developed by Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) to meet the electricity requirements of the depot and charging facilities.
Besides reviewing the new infrastructure, the visiting team was also briefed on the existing electric bus services in Jammu.
The city currently operates a fleet of 100 electric buses, which were allocated under the FAME-II Scheme and are being operated by JSCL, providing public transport within Jammu and connecting it with several adjoining destinations.
The existing fleet is equipped with passenger-oriented facilities, including CCTV cameras, emergency panic buttons, real-time vehicle tracking and passenger information systems.
The services have also expanded connectivity to destinations such as Kathua, Udhampur, Katra and Khour, besides various routes within Jammu.
Bhanu Pratap Singh Bhadoria, Director, Urban Transport, MoHUA, expressed satisfaction over the physical progress of the under-construction electric bus depot at Bhagwati Nagar under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme.
He also appreciated the efforts of JSCL in efficiently operating the existing fleet of 100 electric buses and strengthening public transport connectivity in Jammu.
