Home Minister to launch 75 e-buses on Jan 9

Equipped with modern facilities, emission free vehicles to serve Jammu public

JAMMU, Jan 7: The grey coloured e-buses with all looks of a luxury vehicle, presently seen on city roads running almost empty are just accomplishing a trial run, while the much awaited formal launch of these passenger vehicles is all set for January 9 by Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, during his Jammu visit, after which the people can avail the services of these emission-free vehicles.

Sources informed that the Union Home Minister will inaugurate 75 small e-buses of 9 meter length on Tuesday after which these vehicles will offer intercity services by running within Jammu city and its peripheries to serve the local public.

“The e-bus service is being started in Jammu under the Smart City Project and these buses are brought on Gross Cost Contract (GCC) with TATA,” they said adding that TATA will run these buses for Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) for a period of 12 years and will get paid only the cost per km of distance these vehicles travel.

They also said that the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) subsidy by Government of India for these vehicles have been passed on to TATA by JSCL.

“JSCL has sorted out the routes with Transport Department on which these environmental friendly vehicles will run,” the sources said.

They informed that initially only two-three routes shall be taken by these e-vehicles among which are Bari Brahmana to Bantalab and Janipur to Chatha routes.

Reliable sources informed that 25 big e-buses with 12 meter length will run intra-city to Katra, Kathua and Udhampur towns and shipment of these vehicles will reach Jammu by this month end.

“So far only sample of these big buses has reached Jammu and it is presently under inspection which will take a month,” they informed.

“We expect that in the month of February these big e-buses should come on roads,” the sources said.

They also said that the depot of e-buses in Jammu is at Bhagwati Nagar which is also the charging station and parking place for these vehicles while the facility of charging of these vehicles has also been made at General Bus Stand Jammu.

More sources informed that routes of these e-buses will start from Railway Station Jammu and General Bus Stand Jammu.

“At night these buses will return to the depot at Bhagwati Nagar where these vehicles will be parked, get charged and their daily maintenance will be done,” sources maintained adding: “Work on making charging stations for e-buses at Katra, Kathua and Udhampur towns is underway and shall be completed soon and the intra-city e-buses will be charged there.”

Reliable sources informed that all these buses will be air conditioned vehicles equipped with CCTV cams, lifts for physically challenged people to enter and de-board, live tracking and many more facilities.

“For using the services of e-buses, there will be provision of digital tickets through mobile ticketing and making payments using National Common Mobility Card on the pattern of doing so in metros and this Card will be used across the country to pay the fare,” they further said adding: “The tickets can also be purchased using mobile phone but payment in cash will be the last preference and payment using digital mode will get a discount of 5 pc also,” they continued.

Suspended cop among two dismissed from service in Samba

Jammu, Jan 7: Two policemen – a suspended constable and a special police officer (SPO) – were dismissed from service for prolonged absence from their duties in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district, police said on Sunday.

Samba Senior Superintendent of Police Benam Tosh ordered the removal from service of suspended selection grade constable Joginder Singh and disengagement of SPO Bachan Lal on the recommendations of inquiry officers, a police spokesman said.

”The stern departmental action of removal/disengagement has been taken after the delinquent personnel did not pay heed to series of signals to resume duties, attendance notices and show cause notices served upon them as also published in newspapers and showed no interest to serve any more in the department.

”Moreover, inquiry officers had also recommended their removal, termination in their findings after conducting enquiries under rules,” the spokesman said.

He said the under-suspension constable has been removed from service in terms of Article 128 of J&K Civil Service Rules, as he had been absenting himself unauthorizedly for the last 10 months.

During his absence, he was also involved in a case registered last year at Kathua police station under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act after he was involved in firing and assault at an eatery, the spokesman said.

He said SPO Lal has been disengaged on the recommendation of the inquiry officer for being a habitual absentee, remaining absent for six months last year.–(PTI)