A dry run of 45 electric buses was conducted on Thursday on selected routes in Noida and Greater Noida. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to inaugurate the service from Lucknow on Friday.
Inaugural Run Details
In its inaugural run, 11 buses each will operate in Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway area. The remaining 12 buses will be stationed in Lucknow. From June 15, when flight operations begin from Noida International Airport, the fleet is set to rise to 110. Noida will receive the largest share of 55 buses. These will run from the Botanical Garden depot, connecting Greater Noida West, Noida International Airport, Surajpur collectorate, Noida airport, and New Bus Adda in Ghaziabad, among others.
Routes in Greater Noida and YEIDA
In Greater Noida, the buses will ply on four routes and connect Gaur Chowk, Surajpur T Point, Pari Chowk, and Noida International Airport. The four routes in YEIDA areas will connect Galgotias University, Noida International University, GBU, GIMS, Pari Chowk, Jagat Farm, Rabupura, and the airport.
Inauguration Ceremony
UPSRTC regional manager Manoj Kumar said the inauguration will be held simultaneously at three local venues: Shilp Haat in Noida, Dadri bus depot in Greater Noida, and the Medical Devices Park in the YEIDA area. The CM will flag off the service remotely.
Fare Structure
The buses are to run every 30 to 60 minutes during the first six months, with a maximum initial fare of Rs 30. Once formally launched, fares will move to a three-tier structure of Rs 20, Rs 30, and Rs 50. While UPSRTC will operate the fleet, the viability gap funding will be borne by Noida Authority.
Project Background
The Rs 675-crore project originally envisaged 500 electric buses, split evenly between 9-metre and 12-metre models, across 25 routes in Noida, Greater Noida, and the YEIDA zone. Noida was allocated 300 buses, while GNIDA and YEIDA received 100 each. Authorities later opted for a phased rollout, prioritising high-demand corridors to avoid the fate of the earlier city bus service, which collapsed under financial strain.
Airport Bus Services
Noida International Airport Ltd (NIAL) nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia said a network of state-run and private buses will begin connecting Noida airport with Delhi-NCR and neighbouring cities from June 15. The services will operate from 4:30 am until late at night.
Apart from the new Noida city bus network, UPSRTC will run buses from Agra, Aligarh, Hathras, Firozabad, and Mathura to the airport. Haryana Roadways will provide connectivity from Palwal, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Chandigarh. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will operate services from Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, and Kashmere Gate.
The airport has also tied up with private operators, including LeafyBus, PTC Skybus, Zingbus, and Indo Canadian Express, to offer direct bus services for air passengers travelling to and from the airport.
