CTU already running 80 eco-friendly vehicles in tricity
In order to provide eco-friendly and green transportation, the UT Transport Department has planned to add 100 more electric buses to its existing fleet of 80 such vehicles this year.
The procurement of the buses will give a major boost to the plan of the UT Administration to replace the entire fleet of nearly 350 diesel buses of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU), running on local or suburban routes, with electric ones by 2027-28.
Transport Director Pradhuman Singh said the administration had approved the proposal of the Transport Department to procure 100 more electric buses and these were likely to hit the road within this year. He said the buses would replace the old diesel buses.
As many as 80 electric buses are currently plying on tricity roads. More than 70 lakh passengers have travelled in these buses in the past more than 18 months.
The Department of Heavy Industries, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, had sanctioned 80 electric buses for the UT under Phase II of the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) India Scheme. The first lot of 40 buses has been in use since November 2021.
The second lot of 40 intra-city electric buses was introduced in November last year after an agreement was signed with M/s Volvo Eicher.
Under the contract, M/s Volvo Eicher has been running the buses at the rate of Rs 44.99 per km, which is Rs 15 per km cheaper in comparison to work allotted earlier for the 40 buses in the first phase. Earlier, the contract to run 40 electric buses was allotted to Ashok Leyland at the rate of Rs 60 per km.
Nearly 20,000 passengers travel in the mini-electric buses in the tricity daily.
Source: PTI
