Chandigarh: If plans laid out by Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria are implemented, travel in the city will become a lot easier and cheaper. Kataria on Tuesday directed the administration to overhaul the city’s public transport network by increasing bus frequency on high-demand routes, rationalising services on low-demand corridors and strengthening connectivity across the Tricity and neighbouring towns.Chairing a review meeting on public transport and app-based taxi services, Kataria asked officials to improve bus connectivity between Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, Zirakpur and Kharar, besides enhancing inter-state services to Punjab and Haryana. He said better route planning and shorter travel time would encourage more people to shift to public transport.The administrator also called for expanding the fleet of low-floor and electric buses and directed officials to examine the feasibility of adopting a grid-based route planning model to improve operational efficiency and passenger convenience.During the meeting, officials said under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme, 100 electric buses have been sanctioned, of which 80 are already operational. A proposal to add another 328 electric buses is also under consideration.Kataria also ordered a review of long-distance bus routes to assess their operational and financial viability. To improve the financial health of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU), he suggested increasing non-fare revenue through advertisements on buses and transport infrastructure and improving passenger information systems with digital display boards, bus timing charts and QR code-based information.The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicle Aggregator Rules, 2025, governing app-based taxi services. Officials briefed the administrator on the notified fare structure, enforcement measures and the proposed regulatory framework for bike taxi services. Kataria said the aggregator ecosystem should complement public transport while protecting the interests of taxi drivers and ensuring passenger safety and transparency.
