Mumbai, July 15 -- Indore has launched the technical and commercial trial of the Prime Minister's e-Bus Sewa (PM e-Bus Sewa) on Route I-14, marking a step towards sustainable urban transport. 10 fully air-conditioned electric buses began operating between Rau Rangwasa and Kanadia Bypass via Ranjit Hanuman, Rajwada and Bengali Square. The trial was inaugurated on Saturday and will assess vehicle performance and passenger services under real conditions.
Under the PM e-Bus Sewa the city has been allotted 150 modern nine-metre electric buses, which will be introduced in phases following the trial. Each bus is fitted with CCTV cameras, panic buttons, digital fare collection systems and wheelchair accessibility to improve safety and inclusivity. The vehicles feature passenger-friendly interiors and are designed to reduce emissions compared with diesel alternatives. Routine maintenance schedules and staff training sessions form part of the operational plan during the pilot to ensure high availability.
The service is being monitored through the Intelligent Transit Management System (ITMS), enabling real-time tracking and centralised operations from the command and control centres at the Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL) office and the Nayta Mundla depot. Instead of conventional drivers and conductors, specially trained coach captains and digital assistants will manage operations and assist passengers to ensure smoother boarding and information services. Authorities have emphasised operational readiness, data collection and reliability testing during the technical and commercial phases.
Officials said the e-bus fleet will eventually connect different parts of Indore as well as nearby towns and peri-urban areas to provide cleaner, safer and more affordable public transport. The initiative is intended to promote green mobility across the region and to integrate with existing transit networks as services scale up. User feedback and ridership data will be analysed to guide service adjustments and to plan phasewise scaling. Further roll-out timelines and route expansions will be determined after evaluation of the trial performance.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.