Haryana CM reviews Transport Department's five-year roadmap

The Chief Minister directed the Transport Department to prepare a revised and future-ready route plan to ensure seamless bus connectivity to every village and urban area in Haryana, a release said.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Transport Department's five-year roadmap and action plan under Haryana Vision-2047 at the Haryana Civil Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the government envisions a transport network where no village in the state remains deprived of bus services within the next one year. Reviewing future transport requirements, emerging technologies and infrastructure plans, Nayab Singh Saini emphasised that efficient management and strategic planning can significantly enhance public transport accessibility while addressing the shortage of buses. He said that while the population in nearly 6,500 villages and urban areas of Haryana has increased substantially over the years, the expansion of public transport services has not kept pace with growing demand. Directing officers to redesign the state's transport network in line with present and future requirements, he said enhanced connectivity would especially benefit students, women and working professionals, encouraging them to shift from private vehicles to public transport, the release stated. The release further stated that the Chief Minister also suggested developing cluster-based transport connectivity by linking nearby villages through circular bus routes. If required, the existing policy framework could also be amended for this purpose. The government aims to transform the Transport Department in such a way that within a year, it can confidently state that not a single village in Haryana remains unconnected by bus service, said Nayab Singh Saini. Highlighting the need to revive and strengthen intra-city public transport, the Chief Minister said that local bus services within cities have declined considerably over time despite rapid urban expansion. As a result, workers commuting to industrial hubs located on city outskirts are increasingly dependent on private vehicles.

He directed officers to ensure city bus connectivity to major hospitals, educational institutions and religious places in all urban centres. Special bus services should also be introduced for industrial workers in cities such as Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat. In addition, mini buses should be operated to improve connectivity between metro stations and bus stands, said Nayab Singh Saini. The Chief Minister directed that all buses in Haryana be integrated with a real-time tracking system on the lines of the Indian Railways, enabling passengers to monitor bus locations and arrival timings through a mobile application. He said every bus should display live location data immediately after leaving the depot. To further strengthen passenger safety, particularly for women, he directed officers to install CCTV cameras in buses linked to a central control room and equip buses with panic buttons for emergency situations, said Saini. Reiterating the government's commitment towards green mobility, Nayab Singh Saini said the Transport Department should prioritise the procurement of electric buses in the coming years and simultaneously create a robust charging infrastructure across the state.He said that 10 new electric bus stands would be developed within the next one year. Charging points would be installed at designated bus bays so that electric buses can be charged while passengers board and ticketing operations are carried out, said Saini. The Chief Minister further directed that electric buses be introduced extensively across districts and cities, while charging stations should also be developed under the PPP model in more regions of the state. Rooftop solar systems would also be installed at all bus stands to enhance renewable energy generation, he said.Reviewing the Happy Card Scheme, the Chief Minister said nearly 20 lakh beneficiaries have already been issued Happy Cards, while another 20 lakh eligible persons would soon receive the facility. He issued necessary directions regarding the smooth distribution of the new cards, it stated.He also reviewed the functioning of IT-enabled Smart Driving Training Institutes established for training drivers of private and commercial vehicles. Stressing the need for transparency and efficiency, he directed that the manual vehicle fitness certification process be replaced with a fully automated system in accordance with the latest Government of India norms. He further instructed officials to reduce waiting time for vehicle fitness approvals, the release said.The Chief Minister said Haryana currently has 26 vehicle scrapping centres, the highest in the country. Under the Centre's policy, vehicle owners are being provided an incentive of Rs 15,000 per vehicle for scrapping old vehicles through authorised centres. He said Haryana is expected to receive the highest incentive allocation of Rs 160 crore from the Central Government under the initiative. To further promote energy conservation and scientific disposal of old vehicles, he directed officials to establish additional scrapping centres in border districts so that vehicle owners from neighbouring states can also avail the facility, said Nayab Singh Saini. Taking serious note of vehicular pollution, the Chief Minister directed officials to tighten enforcement against vehicles operating without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. He said automatic number plate recognition cameras should be installed at all petrol pumps across Haryana to identify vehicles lacking valid PUC certificates. Such vehicles would not be supplied with petrol or diesel, said Saini. The release said the officers apprised the Chief Minister that the project is already underway and the first phase covering all NCR districts would be completed by September 30. The Chief Minister also directed that a state-level Unified Command and Control Centre be established this year for integrated monitoring of all government and private buses operating in Haryana, it said.He further directed the officers to modernise bus stands across the state in line with future requirements. New bus terminals equipped with modern facilities, including STP and ETP systems, would be developed wherever required, said Singh Saini. (ANI)