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The Delhi government has planned to start the plying of small-sized electric Mohalla Buses on the capital's roadways in order to assess the need for such a service across places in Delhi, an official release stated on Thursday.
"The Delhi government is going to start small-size electric Mohalla Buses on the capital's roads. In a bid to identify the need for the Mohalla bus services across various locations in Delhi and determine the most suitable routes," the release stated. It stated further that the Delhi Transport Department had started a comprehensive Ground Assessment Exercise that would be extended to different areas as part of the feasibility study. "This 15-day assessment begins today and will conclude on June 15th, with 23 technical teams being deployed to different areas to conduct the study," the official release said. It also urged the people of Delhi to share their reviews and suggestions on the matter. Delhiites may share their feedback and suggestions on mohallabusfeedback@gmail.com, it added. In a statement, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, "Never before has Delhi procured 2000+ feeder buses. The smaller size 9-meter buses shall operate on routes not accessible by 12-meter buses and will also further enhance first and last-mile connectivity for the bus users." The minister added that by forming teams around the city to collect public feedback, they were ensuring that "all important routes are covered by these Mohalla buses, connecting key places and points of interest in Delhi". "Under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, incorporating the feedback of people has always been an important parameter to come out with a solution directly impacting their lives," he added. The release also said that the dedicated teams would visit high-potential metro stations, bus terminals, stops, and various localities in Delhi as part of their mandate. It stated further that their primary focus would be on analyzing the aspects such as Travel Demand Assessment wherein the teams would evaluate the demand for last-mile connectivity in each area and study the preferences of residents regarding transportation modes for such connectivity. It would also look through the road networks, which would include assessing the feasibility of available roads in each locality, including factors such as road width, encroachments, and operational constraints. The current level of public transportation connectivity was also essential in evaluating the existing public transportation services in the demand region, taking into account the distance passengers must travel to reach various modes of transportation, the release added. It said the focus would be on Para-transit Connectivity, which would include studying the availability of shared e-rickshaws, autos, and other para-transit options in each area. The release added that the data collected during this exercise would be digitised and utilised to determine the origin and destination of the proposed Mohalla bus services in each locality. "Additionally, it will aid in identifying the shortest possible routes that can accommodate the maximum number of passengers," the statement said. It stated that the data-driven approach of Delhi CM aims to ensure optimal overlap with other available transport services in the area, promoting efficient and effective public transportation solutions. "The Mohalla Bus Scheme was initially announced in the budget speech by Delhi's Finance Minister, Kailash Gahlot, who also serves as the Transport Minister. The scheme intends to deploy 9-meter-long electric buses to provide neighbourhood or feeder bus services," the release said. It added that the Kejriwal government plans to introduce a total of 2,180 such buses by 2025, specifically designed to cater to areas where road width is limited or where overcrowding prevents regular 12-meter buses from operating. "This move is expected to enhance connectivity and improve transportation access for residents in these areas," it said. (ANI)
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