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Bhopal Begins Free Passenger Trials of Electric City Buses

The short trial will validate depot fast chargers, on-bus monitoring, the Gross Cost Contract, passenger accessibility and route scheduling before the August 15 commercial launch.

Overview

  • As of July 27, 2026, 10 air-conditioned electric buses are carrying passengers free on two trial routes after five days of empty operational tests and route checks.
  • A total of 21 buses have been delivered to the new Bairagarh depot, which already has 11 fast chargers and a control room for real-time GPS and CCTV monitoring.
  • The rollout follows the PM-eBus Sewa Gross Cost Contract model that pays operators Rs 58.14 per kilometre and requires each bus to run a minimum of 180 km daily.
  • Bhopal City Link Limited will expand the fleet to 100 sanctioned PM-eBus vehicles for phase one and later add 145 more to reach a planned 245 buses across 12 approved routes.
  • The trial will test accessibility and safety features—wheelchair lifts, five CCTV cameras, AI passenger counters, panic buttons and digital ticketing—while officials prepare for full commercial service on August 15, 2026.