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GMCBL signs MoU to optimise Gurugram’s city bus network
According to officials, under the 15-month-long MoU extending until March 2027, the existing routes of GMCBL buses will be optimised to facilitate more commuters, along with scenario planning for fleet expansion and a detailed assessment of last-mile connectivity.
The Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with digital engineering giant Nagarro and Plaksha University to undertake a comprehensive study for the optimisation and rationalisation of the city’s bus network, GMCBL officials said on Friday.
According to officials, under the 15-month-long MoU extending until March 2027, the existing routes of GMCBL buses will be optimised to facilitate more commuters, along with scenario planning for fleet expansion and a detailed assessment of last-mile connectivity.
Currently, GMCBL operates a fleet of 150 Gurugaman buses across the city. “Under the central PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, 100 new electric buses are expected to be added to the fleet in a phased manner, starting March,” said Rajeev Nagpal, GMCBL depot manager in Sector 10.
Officials said the MoU will include planning for the integration of additional buses into GMCBL’s fleet. Plaksha University, in collaboration with technology solutions provider Street Surge, will lead the academic and technical aspects of the project.
As part of the study, operational and ridership data provided by GMCBL will be digitised and analysed. Additionally, a city-level travel demand assessment will be done using Big Geospatial Data and passenger surveys to identify key travel corridors, demand patterns and core service areas, GMCBL said in a statement.
“Through a data-driven approach, the initial six months of the MoU will focus on data analysis, planning, and network design, followed by nine months to implement and monitor the proposed solutions,” the statement read.
GMCBL’s chief executive officer Vishwajeet Chaudhary said: “Through this collaboration, we aim to further improve and strengthen the Gurugaman bus services in Gurugram and provide citizens with a more robust, reliable, and efficient public transport network.”
Dr Anupam Sobti from Plaksha University added, “We hope this initiative will serve as a scalable and replicable framework for scientific bus route design and public transport planning across Haryana.” The Munich-based tech giant Nagarro is supporting the initiative as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment in India.
A high-level meeting among senior Haryana government officials is expected to take place later in January over the expansion of GMCBL’s bus fleet in the district.
