PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Acting on the guidance of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Dehradun district administration is set to enhance the EV shuttle service by soon adding modern minibuses to the fleet for automated mechanical parking at Parade Ground and Tibetan Market. Officials reported that preparations for this initiative are already underway, with the district administration having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an agency named Adorn for the procurement of new 13-seater electric minibuses.
District magistrate Savin Bansal held a virtual meeting with officials concerned. He instructed that the procurement process for the EV shuttle buses be expedited and emphasised the need for immediate arrangements regarding their operation. He directed the officials concerned to expedite the completion of the work related to bus stops, waiting and charging stations, design plans, route charts and parking facilities.
Bansal said, “Individuals who park their vehicles in the Automated Mechanical Parking will receive free transportation through modern EV shuttle minibuses, while a minimal ticket rate will be established for the general public. In the first phase, we are procuring five modern EV minibuses, with plans to increase this number according to future requirements.”
He also said that, in line with the CM’s directions, automated parking spaces have been constructed at three locations in the city to alleviate traffic congestion and provide better parking facilities to the public. To further enhance these parking services, a modern EV minibus shuttle service will soon be launched, benefiting both parked vehicles and the general public.
He said that currently, the district administration operates the “Free Sakhi Cab Facility” under the Automated Parking initiative, which has allocated new EV vehicles (Tata Punch) to the District Rural Development Agency in Dehradun. These vehicles provide free transportation to vehicle owners who park in these facilities, Bansal said. The three automated parking lots built to ease congestion and improve parking options include Parade Ground, Tibetan Market and Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital. Once the EV shuttle service is operational, free EV bus service will be offered within a radius of approximately 10 kilometres, covering areas such as Ghanta Ghar, Subhash Road, Gandhi Park and Parade Ground.
