Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji
Despite Panaji’s Smart City e-bus service, which was launched in July 2024, witnessing a steady rise in ridership and revenue, some operational challenges like confusion among commuters with regard to selection of the right bus and difficulty in fare payment and collection continue to create a hurdle in the smooth functioning of the public transport system.
Nearly 48 e-buses operate on seven colour-coded routes and they run without any conductor. This was done with the aim of establishing a cashless transport system through the use of transit cards that require only a tap on a validation machine. However, the low frequency of adoption of these cards has slowed the transition meant for fare payment.
Only 1,837 cards have been issued so far, with majority of the commuters still dependent on cash or digital payment. With no conductors on board the buses, the responsibility of managing fare and guiding the passengers has fallen on the drivers.
In the absence of conductors, many passengers struggle to identify the correct bus for their route, often resorting to asking the driver for directions before boarding a bus. This stresses the drivers, who are compelled to handle conductor’s duty apart from driving.
There have been many instances wherein drivers have been seen driving with one hand while accepting digital fare payment with the other. A commuter said, “It’s concerning to see drivers accepting fare while driving.
A completely cashless system was promised, but it has not been implemented effectively.”
An official of the Smart City initiative said, “The response to the e-bus service has been encouraging and we are pleased with the rising number of commuters. However, we recognise the need to streamline operations, particularly in terms of making route identification easier and simplifying the fare payment process for commuters.”
With over 1.67 million passengers transported and Rs 1.75 crore generated in revenue, the project has proven to be a crucial step towards sustainable urban mobility.
In July 2024, the service began with 61,516 passengers, generating revenue of Rs 6.49 lakh. By August, the ridership surged to 1,56,207, leading to a revenue of Rs 15.11 lakh. The momentum continued in September with 1,82,163 passengers and an income of Rs 19.04 lakh.
Peak travel period was observed in December 2024 and January 2025, while February 2025 saw a slight decline in the number of commuters and revenue. The total ridership in the last nine months stands at 16,70,798 passengers, with an overall revenue collection of Rs 1.75 crore.
