Karnataka: First E-Bus Unveiled In Bengaluru, To Hit Roads In November

The Karnataka government has taken this step due to skyrocketing fuel prices and increasing pollution levels in air

E-bus unveiled in Bengaluru on Thursday. (Image: Twitter)

Chennai: Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) on Thursday unveiled first electric bus (e-bus) in the city and the buses to hit the roads in November. Karnataka government is geared up to acquire 1,500 electric buses in the next three years and this year alone the state government has aimed to include a fleet of nearly 400 buses, according to a report. 

However, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to formally induct at least 10 e-buses in November, said Transport Minister B Sriramulu. In a move to replace the scrapped buses, the government decided as many as 400 discarded buses to be transformed into all new e-buses per year.

The two main reasons for this transformation are skyrocketing fuel prices and increasing pollution. According to an Economic Times report, as part of the Smart City Project, 90 mini electric buses will be plied in Bengaluru and they will be inducted in a phased manner till November.

The report says, while 90 buses to be acquired at a cost of Rs 50 crore, NTPC for next 10 years will take care of the maintenance of these buses including charging and drivers charges. According to an agreement signed by the transport department, the electric buses to shuffle as Metro feeder services in the city for at least 180 kilometres per day. It will take 45 minutes for a bus to charge completely and for every 120 kilometres an e-bus has to be charged.

E-bus fares will be priced lesser than the normal buses. The Centre is keen on bringing electric culture mainly in public transport medium in nine cities in the country. At least 600 e-buses will be inducted annually and 30 to 40 per cent of people will be commuting through the electric buses, Transport Department Principal Secretary, Rajendra Kumar Kataria said according to Economic Times.