Panipat, May 28 (IANS) Giving a new direction to green public transport, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday inaugurated an electric bus depot here and flagged off 80 e-buses.

CM Saini said a new era of clean, modern and environment-friendly transport has begun in Haryana from the historic and sacred land of Panipat.

He said out of the 80 electric buses, 40 buses have been allocated for Panipat, 15 for Yamunanagar, 10 each for Kurukshetra and Sonipat and five for Panchkula.

He said these are not merely buses, but the beginning of a clean, convenient and modern future for Haryana.

The Chief Minister said a state-of-the-art electric bus depot has been developed in Panipat at a cost of Rs 7 crore. Besides, electric bus depots are under construction in eight other districts where modern charging facilities for buses will also be provided.

Strengthening public transport is among the top priorities of the government as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the nation the vision of ‘Green India’, ‘Net Zero’ and ‘Sustainable Development’.

“The entire world is moving towards environmental protection and green energy. The Prime Minister has called for reducing the consumption of petrol and diesel and promoting electric mobility, and the Haryana government is working to implement this vision on the ground,” the Chief Minister said.

He said electric bus services would reduce dependence on petrol and diesel, lower pollution and provide people with safe, comfortable and modern travel facilities.

CM Saini said Haryana City Bus Service Ltd is working towards making urban life more convenient and environment-friendly.

Recently, under Haryana Vision — 2047, the road map for transport services for the next five years was reviewed.

Considering the rapidly growing urban areas, instructions have been issued to increase the number of local buses in cities.

He said the government is also working on integrating buses with a tracking system on the lines of the Indian Railways, through which passengers will be able to get information regarding bus location and arrival time through a mobile application.

Besides, 10 new electric bus stands will be constructed within one year and more electric buses will be purchased in the future.

–IANS

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