Noida Metro | NMRC proposes fares for city bus service in Noida

Noida: Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) has proposed the fares for its city bus service, which is likely to be launched from October 1 this year. While the minimum fare for air-conditioned is likely to be Rs 15, the maximum fare could be Rs 45. A board meeting of the corporation scheduled on September 19 in Lucknow is likely to give its nod to the proposal.
According to NMRC officials, the State Transport Authority (STA) Uttar Pradesh government decided the maximum and minimum fares for city bus operation. “We have proposed the fare slab for the Noida-Greater Noida city bus service on the basis of the bus service being operated in Lucknow,” said Santos Yadav, Managing Director, NMRC.

The fares have been decided depending on the kilometers travelled by the commuters. While the minimum fare for non-air-conditioned buses for travel between 0 to 3 kms has been proposed to be Rs 10, an air-conditioned bus would charge Rs 15. Similarly, while a non-air-conditioned bus could charge Rs 35 for travel beyond 20 kms, an air-conditioned bus is likely to charge Rs 45 for the same distance. Concessional passes could also be initiated for student travel. Once approved by the NMRC Board, the proposal will be sent to the STA for final clearance, officials said.

Officials further said that a temporary bus depot is being readied at sector 88 in Noida, where the city buses will be parked. Operation, supervision and maintenance of the buses will be done by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC). A Memorandum of Understanding with the UPSRTC is likely to be inked soon.

Officials further said that the aim is to put into place a modern and hi-tech bus service for commuters without any more delays. The city bus service proposes to initially operate 100 buses. 50 buses will be launched initially across six routes and another 50 later. These numbers will later be augment as per the response by commuters. The buses will run separately from the state transport buses. Besides plying in Noida and Greater, buses will also be used as feeder buses for Metro Rail to provide last mile connectivity.

Once in place, the service will provide a huge respite to commuters who travel within and between the twin cities. So far there is no consistent bus service available. Initially the bus service was to be launched by June this year and has since missed many deadlines. Now it has been re-scheduled for October 1.

Noida Metro | NMRC proposes fares for city bus service in Noida