Chandigarh administration plans premium direct bus service to Delhi airport

Chandigarh: To provide premium bus service to passengers travelling from the city, the Chandigarh administration is planning to launch a luxury bus service to different destinations. "The initial plan is to run Volvo buses from Chandigarh to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi," said a senior UT official.
Currently, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) does not have any such premium bus service. Other states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, along with private carriers, have such buses. "The demand on this route is huge, particularly for direct connectivity to the airport terminals. In addition to providing premium connectivity to the airport, the transport department is also expecting to tap into this market, which is primarily dominated by a private player," said the official.
CTU currently operates only simple air-conditioned buses (HVAC), which score on the affordability factor but lose passengers looking for a more comfortable and premium mode of travel to the international airport. "The road connectivity to the airport has improved from Chandigarh with the construction of new alternative road options. People travelling to the airport from Chandigarh by train also face a lot of inconvenience due to the lack of direct connectivity. So, CTU starting a direct premium service is being planned," said the official.
The administration is considering buying 10 premium buses. "Later, other tourist destinations like Jaipur and Agra can also be started," said the official. CTU has been expanding its bus service by adding new buses and routes. Recently, it added 60 new long-route inter-state buses to its fleet. It has 120 non-AC buses and the same number of AC buses plying on inter-state routes. Forty more non-AC buses are in the process of being added to its fleet.
"The long-route bus service has helped CTU increase its revenue. A number of new routes have been added. Adding premium bus services will further add to this revenue generation. The CTU buses have an edge as they also have security features for the passengers," said the official.
For its local bus service, the transport department is pushing to replace all diesel buses with electric buses. Currently, its fleet has 80 e-buses. Earlier this month, the department approached the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to approve the allocation of an additional 328 e-buses for the Chandigarh administration under the financial assistance scheme of the 'PM e-bus Sewa Scheme' on the GCC Model.
Notably, the transport department requested in 2024 that the ministry sanction 70 e-buses in addition to the existing 100 e-buses under the financial assistance scheme of the 'PM e-bus Sewa Scheme'. MSID:: 120852957 413 |
Chandigarh: To provide premium bus service to passengers travelling from the city, the Chandigarh administration is planning to launch a luxury bus service to different destinations. "The initial plan is to run Volvo buses from Chandigarh to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi," said a senior UT official.
Currently, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) does not have any such premium bus service. Other states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, along with private carriers, have such buses. "The demand on this route is huge, particularly for direct connectivity to the airport terminals. In addition to providing premium connectivity to the airport, the transport department is also expecting to tap into this market, which is primarily dominated by a private player," said the official.
CTU currently operates only simple air-conditioned buses (HVAC), which score on the affordability factor but lose passengers looking for a more comfortable and premium mode of travel to the international airport. "The road connectivity to the airport has improved from Chandigarh with the construction of new alternative road options. People travelling to the airport from Chandigarh by train also face a lot of inconvenience due to the lack of direct connectivity. So, CTU starting a direct premium service is being planned," said the official.
The administration is considering buying 10 premium buses. "Later, other tourist destinations like Jaipur and Agra can also be started," said the official. CTU has been expanding its bus service by adding new buses and routes. Recently, it added 60 new long-route inter-state buses to its fleet. It has 120 non-AC buses and the same number of AC buses plying on inter-state routes. Forty more non-AC buses are in the process of being added to its fleet.
"The long-route bus service has helped CTU increase its revenue. A number of new routes have been added. Adding premium bus services will further add to this revenue generation. The CTU buses have an edge as they also have security features for the passengers," said the official.
For its local bus service, the transport department is pushing to replace all diesel buses with electric buses. Currently, its fleet has 80 e-buses. Earlier this month, the department approached the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to approve the allocation of an additional 328 e-buses for the Chandigarh administration under the financial assistance scheme of the 'PM e-bus Sewa Scheme' on the GCC Model.
Notably, the transport department requested in 2024 that the ministry sanction 70 e-buses in addition to the existing 100 e-buses under the financial assistance scheme of the 'PM e-bus Sewa Scheme'. MSID:: 120852957 413 |