Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh is set to launch a large-scale public transport expansion programme from July, with Indore becoming the first city to implement the state’s new Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva and the Centre-backed PM e-Bus Sewa scheme.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Board of Directors of Madhya Pradesh Passenger Transport and Infrastructure Limited chaired by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav.
Under the initiative, the state has been divided into seven transport regions comprising Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Sagar, Gwalior and Rewa. Bus operations will begin from the Indore region, covering all districts of the Indore division, before being expanded to other parts of the state.
Officials said 150 electric buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme will begin operating in Indore from July, with vehicles already arriving in the city. The transport network will comprise three categories of services, including inter-city buses connecting Indore with other districts of Madhya Pradesh, city buses operating within Indore and adjoining suburban areas such as Mhow, and interstate services linking the Indore division with neighbouring states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
According to the plan, 121 inter-city routes have been identified from the Indore region to other districts of the state, on which 608 buses will be deployed. Within Indore city and nearby suburban areas, 28 routes have been identified and will be served by 784 buses, including the 150 electric buses under the central scheme.
For interstate connectivity, 101 routes have been identified from the Indore region to neighbouring states. A total of 276 buses are proposed to operate on these routes through Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL).
Overall, 250 routes originating from the Indore region have been identified across the three categories, with plans to operate 1,688 buses on them.
Officials said a total of 620 routes have been identified across all seven regional headquarters connecting various district headquarters in the state, where 2,432 buses are proposed to be operated under the expanded public transport network.
Similar services covering inter-city, city and interstate routes will subsequently be rolled out from the remaining six regional headquarters through their respective subsidiary transport companies, they added.