State government of India had recently been directed by the centre to float tenders for electric buses in an effort to convert the existing transportation of the country to a cleaner alternative. Following this, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) now plans to convert its entire fleet to electric by 2030.?
As per some BMTC officials cited in a report by TOI, a roadmap is being created to deploy 1500 electric buses in the state¡¯s transport fleet within the next three years. Of the 1500 e-buses, the plan is to procure the first 500 within a year¡¯s time. This number will comprise of a total of 100 AC buses (20 of these will be used for the Bengaluru Airport) and 400 non AC buses.?
The 500 e-buses will be inducted on a lease model under which select operators will be responsible for providing the electric buses as well as operate them on select routes for a definite period. Operators will also bear the expense of vehicle maintenance, charging infrastructure, operational cost and the maintenance of the staff. Meanwhile, BMTC will pay the power charges and appoint conductors on each of these buses.?
BMTC Electric Bus (Representative Image: BCCL)
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BMTC¡¯s expression of interest (EOI) for the electric buses is not new as the corporation had initiated this back in March. Following that, BMTC was expected to propose 100 electric buses in its fleet through the state government¡¯s funds. The deadline for opening the bids, however, had to be postponed due to the model code of conduct. At the time, BMTC also lost a central government¡¯s grant worth Rs 80 crore for procuring 80 electric buses.
The move towards electric buses for state transport fleets is gaining momentum as several states in India are already following the centre¡¯s directive and floating tenders for electric buses both on a lease as well as ownership model. As such green vehicles are increased in numbers for the public transport, the cleaner mode of commute will help bring down the hazardous air pollution levels in several of the metropolitan cities of India.?