Public transit in Bikaner is taking a significant step toward cleaner urban mobility as municipal preparations for electric bus operations gain full momentum. Aiming to reduce reliance on conventional petrol and diesel commercial transport, a dedicated electric bus depot has been constructed opposite Maharaja Ganga Singh University. Developed across roughly 5 bighas of land at an overall expenditure of approximately 8.50 crore rupees, the facility is engineered to serve as the operational nerve center for the city's green mobility fleet.
The newly completed facility is designed to park up to 75 electric buses simultaneously. To keep fleet turnaround quick and uninterrupted, multiple dedicated charging points have been installed across the grounds, enabling up to 18 buses to undergo charging at the same time. According to depot staff member Laxman Singh, operations will initially launch using 9-meter electric buses. These vehicles require between two and two and a half hours for a full battery replenishment, which then delivers an operational running range of 200 to 250 kilometers on a single charge. Larger 11-meter electric buses are scheduled for deployment in the subsequent phase to broaden seating availability across city routes.
Maintenance Workshop, Dedicated Washing Bay, and Core Infrastructure
Covering around 5 bighas, the infrastructure inside the terminal accommodates all routine maintenance and operational demands. Dedicated parking platforms have been built across the yard to keep 75 buses organized without causing traffic bottlenecks within the depot. An administrative block manages scheduling and operations, while an integrated workshop provides technical maintenance and immediate fault repairs for electric drive systems. To support daily cleaning schedules, an automated washing line has been installed, backed by dedicated water pumps and storage tanks ensuring steady utility supply.
Fire Safety Measures with Specialized Lanes Between Parked Vehicles
Given the heavy battery packs and continuous high-voltage electrical charging involved in running an electric bus network, stringent safety measures have been embedded directly into the layout. A designated fire lane has been demarcated after every cluster of four buses across the parking yard. This clear corridor allows emergency vehicles and firefighting personnel unimpeded access to individual bays should any safety incident arise, preventing minor electrical hazards from spreading across neighboring vehicles.
Fleet Arrivals Underway with 11 Electric Buses Delivered to Date
Vehicle deliveries to the campus have already started ahead of scheduled commercial rollout. Laxman Singh confirmed that an initial batch of 5 electric buses arrived at the depot first, followed shortly by a second consignment of 6 units. With these dispatches, a total of 11 electric buses are currently stationed on site. Additional buses will continue to arrive in phases until the full fleet target is reached. With its total holding capacity of 75 buses, this modern depot is poised to serve as the foundational backbone for Bikaner's green public transport infrastructure.
