Latest news with #PuducherryMunicipality
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Women-driven e-rickshaws to be deployed in Puducherry's Boulevard for last-mile connectivity
Residents can soon zip around Puducherry city in environmentally friendly e-rickshaws driven by women. The Transport Department has procured 38 white-and-blue e-rickshaws, which will be operated by the Puducherry Municipality in the Boulevard area to enhance last-mile connectivity. The fleet is scheduled to be launched next week. E-rickshaws, which are popular in Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur, are not only efficient and environment friendly, but also a cheap mode of transport, officials said. Four charging stations — two each at the Mairie building, where the Puducherry Municipality office is located, and the Old Port — are being set up for the vehicles. Additionally, 15 charging points are proposed at a permanent site belonging to the municipality in Dubryapet. Powered by lithium-ion technology, the e-rickshaw offers increased savings, superior ride quality, and comfort for drivers and passengers. The zero-emission vehicle can travel up to 85 km on a single charge. 'With a view to include women in the green mobility landscape in the city, the Transport Department has identified around 150 women and issued driving licences to them. The municipality has trained around 38 women drivers to drive the electric rickshaws. The rides can be booked through an app,' Transport Commissioner A.S. Sivakumar said. He added, 'The penetration of intermediary public transport is very low, especially in the Boulevard area. With limited options for mobility, the government has introduced e-rickshaws. These battery-operated vehicles have multiple benefits and can easily navigate the narrow roads in the French and Tamil quarters in the Boulevard area. The vehicle can carry four passengers and can run 85 km on full charge.' Initially, five e-rickshaws will be rolled out, and the rest will be introduced in a phased manner. The Transport Department has framed procedural guidelines for licensing/registration and grant of permit for the e-rickshaws to provide affordable transport to senior citizens, women, and children for last-mile connectivity. The introduction of e-rickshaws is aimed at empowering women and providing them with a secure means of livelihood, officials said. While the department will be responsible for the fare notification, the operation and maintenance of the vehicles will be borne by the municipality. The running cost per km will be considerably lower when compared to petrol/diesel powered vehicles. The fleet of rickshaws have a uniform colour code and are painted with main tourist attractions in the city, including the beach, Aayi Mandapam, and Gandhi Thidal. They will have GPS facility to link to an exclusive mobile app with QR code for easy trip booking. The link will also be connected to a monitoring centre at the Transport Deportment. The vehicles will be under the control of the municipality, and the local body will work out the revenue sharing formula.
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus in Puducherry to be inaugurated on May 2
As the Puducherry Municipality gears up to operationalise the reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus on Friday (May 2, 2025), the government has worked out a long-term plan for further development of the terminal by providing more amenities, including a multi-level parking lot and multiplex on the bus stand premises, spread across four acres of land on Marimaliadigal Salai. The reconstruction of the bus terminus was taken up at a cost of around ₹34 crore under the Smart Cities Mission. The foundation of the project was laid by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy in June 2023. For facilitation of the reconstruction work by NBCC (India) Limited, a Central public sector undertaking, the Municipality had temporarily shifted bus operations to AFT ground. 'We will be inaugurating the new bus station on Friday morning and by midnight, we will close the AFT ground. Thereafter, all buses, including town buses, will be operated from the new facility. The newly constructed 31 stalls inside the bus terminus will start functioning only after some time. However, the Pondicherry Tourism Department Corporation and Ponlait will have their outlets, so that commuters can have nourishments inside the terminus,' said an official. Around 46 buses could be parked at a time at the new bus terminus, the official said, adding that all other passenger amenities have been made available at the complex. Future plans The government has worked out a plan to further develop the terminus under Public Private Partnership model in the coming years. 'A tender will be floated, inviting private parties to take up additional constructions. We want to develop the terminal on similar lines of the new bus station at Kilambakkam in Chennai. The plan is to have a commercial complex, convention-cum-marriage hall, a multiplex, and a multi-level two-wheeler and car parking area,' said another official. Unlike the Kilambakkam bus terminal, the official said the chosen private player would make the investment for the development of buildings. 'The private player will invest, design, construct, operate, and maintain the terminal, and give a share of the revenue to the Municipality,' the official said. A frequent commuter said the government, having spent so much money on the reconstruction of the terminal, should take extra care to ensure its proper upkeep. 'The old bus stand was not properly maintained. From day one, the Municipality should concentrate on the new bus stand's proper maintenance. The presence of police should be increased so as to prevent the premises from getting misused by miscreants,' he added.
