Noida authority issues EOI to finalise operator for e-bus service

The Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authorities (YEIDA) have issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) to initiate an electric bus service across three urban areas, officials said on Wednesday. The project, valued at ₹675 crore, aims to address the growing demand for sustainable public transport in the region, they added. 
The authorities will shortlist agencies based on their technical qualifications, and only those meeting the criteria will have their financial bids considered, officials said, adding that Manoj Kumar Panda, senior consultant at the Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Urban Transport, prepared the EOI, which was issued by the Noida authority. 
”The EOI issuance is the process to finalise the successful bus operator for procurement, supply, operation, and maintenance of electric buses,” said the EOI document. The project will involve 500 buses operating across 27 routes, with 200 buses each for Noida and Greater Noida and 100 for the Yamuna Expressway area. 
Once proposals are submitted, the successful bidder is expected to be finalised within two months, provided the process adheres to schedule, said officials. The selected agency will manage the service for 12 years, with each bus covering an annual assured distance of 72,000 kilometres, they added.
The service will operate on 27 routes: 13 in Noida, nine in Greater Noida, and five in the Yamuna Expressway region. One route each will connect Noida to Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Greater Noida, officials aware of the development said. 
The project stems from the Prime Minister’s E-Bus Sewa Scheme, which entails deploying 10,000 electric buses nationwide under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. “We are working in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh government so that the e-bus project can be executed on the ground as per the rules,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer of the Noida authority. 
Current infrastructure challenges 
The Noida urban agglomeration, comprising Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway areas, is undergoing a rapid transformation into a multi-faceted travel hub. However, according to the EOI, the public transport system is deemed inadequate, with the existing Metro services covering only 29.7 kilometres between Noida and Greater Noida. The remaining last-mile connectivity relies heavily on electric rickshaws and e-bikes, said officials.. 
”There is no city bus service in the area, and the urban transport system is unsustainable,” noted a Greater Noida authority official. The proposed e-bus service aims to address this gap by connecting key areas, including government offices, Metro stations, markets, shopping malls, and residential zones. 
To ensure smooth implementation, all three industrial bodies have formed a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). “Once finalised, the bus operator will handle the entire process, including planning, designing, installation, operation, and maintenance of charging infrastructure on a gross cost contract basis,” said Prerna Singh, additional CEO of the Greater Noida authority. 
The EOI document highlights collaborations with infrastructure developers, technology providers, and independent experts to develop a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the Noida Urban Agglomeration (NUA), officials said. The CMP seeks to evaluate current transport infrastructure and address its shortcomings to meet the region’s evolving transportation needs, they added.