Chandigarh- Haryana Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday called for a massive expansion of public transport services across the state, asserting that reducing dependence on private vehicles is crucial for curbing petrol and diesel consumption and promoting sustainable mobility. He 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.
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 emphasized that efficient management and strategic planning can significantly enhance public transport accessibility while addressing the shortage of buses.
Push for stronger city bus networks
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.
Haryana buses to get real-time tracking system
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 Sh. Nayab Singh Saini.
10 new electric bus stands to come up within a year
Reiterating the government’s commitment towards green mobility, Sh. 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.
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.
20 lakh more Happy Cards to be distributed
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. He also reviewed the functioning of IT-enabled Smart Driving Training Institutes established for training drivers of private and commercial vehicles.
Haryana leads country with 26 vehicle scrapping centres
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.
Automated number plate cameras to identify vehicles without PUC certificates
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.
