Bhopal City Bus Expansion: BCLL Plans 64 Buses On 16 Routes Under PPP Model

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: The Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL) is set to launch city bus services on 16 new and previously closed routes using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, according to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL). The move allows local bus operators to run services with their own vehicles, with the BCLL providing depots for bus parking.

The new plan, developed under the PM Bus Sewa initiative, proposes to run four buses on each of the 16 routes, totaling 64 buses. Services on these routes are expected to commence in November 2021. Unlike the centrally operated electric buses already in operation, the new PPP model does not mandate electric buses for private operators.

Instead, operators will pay BCLL a monthly revenue amount, and the operator offering the highest revenue is likely to be granted permission to operate a route. This arrangement aims to prevent a single company from dominating all routes and to provide opportunities to multiple local operators. BCLL officials say the initiative will improve connectivity between Bhopal, its outskirts, and nearby towns while integrating local private bus operators into the city's public transport network.