Solapur’s e-bus service will introduce digital ticketing from December, allowing passengers to scan a QR code on conductors’ point-of-sale machines instead of paying only in cash. The Solapur Municipal Corporation has also begun preparing for 80 more electric buses expected to arrive in March under the central government’s PM E-Bus Sewa scheme.
Twenty e-buses have already been deployed on routes selected for higher passenger demand across the city and surrounding rural areas. The buses currently operate alongside 16 older buses under the municipal transport initiative. Each e-bus can travel up to 180 kilometres after a full charge, according to the report.
At present, passengers using the new buses must pay their fare in cash. From December, the QR scanner on the point-of-sale machine will allow them to obtain tickets through an online payment. The change is intended to remove the requirement for commuters to carry cash while using the service.
The civic body is also working on a mobile-based bus tracking system. The new e-buses are equipped with GPS, which will be linked to an application so that passengers can check a bus’s current location and estimate how long it will take to reach a stop. The report did not specify the name of the application or the date on which it will become available to the public.
Infrastructure work is continuing at the charging station in Budhwar Peth. The municipal corporation is setting up the mechanical section, parking arrangements and charging facilities, with the remaining work expected to be completed within the next three months. Sarika Akulwar, transport manager of the Solapur Municipal Corporation, said the additional 80 buses would arrive after these works are completed.
Before deploying the incoming buses, the corporation plans to assess demand on existing routes and identify additional city and rural routes where the vehicles can operate. This route-selection process will determine how the expanded fleet is distributed rather than automatically adding buses to the existing network.
The programme also faces an operational problem at bus stops, where autorickshaws are reportedly stopping and obstructing access for buses and passengers. The municipal corporation has written to the Regional Transport Office and city traffic police, seeking restrictions on autorickshaw stopping within a specified distance of bus stops.
A meeting involving Solapur Municipal Commissioner Dr Sachin Ombase, Regional Transport Officer Gajanan Nerpagar and Assistant Commissioner of Police for the city traffic branch Manojkumar Yadav is expected within four to five days. The city’s new bus stops will be painted in the same saffron colour as the e-buses. Lotus Media has received the contract to construct and maintain the stops for five years, and route timetables are expected to be displayed at the facilities.
