The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will begin the trial run of its electric bus in Kozhikode district on June 28. The five-day trial run will cover nine different routes for the authorities to scientifically check the vehicle’s efficiency. A performance report will be submitted to the higher authorities later.
According to schedule, the bus will start service at 7.15 a.m. and cover locations including Beypore, Kunnamangalam, Balussery, Koyilandy, Ramanattukara, and Thamarassery. Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran will flag off the service. On a regular basis, 14 services will be conducted a day during the trial period.
KSRTC officials said the bus is loaded with special features such as GPS navigation, CCTV, and other entertainment options. It will come to the city after the trial run in Ernakulam. In Kozhikode, the daily schedule will cover only 295 km, they added.
The trial run will conclude on July 2, and a State-level expert panel will review the running condition of the bus. The response of the public will also be assessed.
The KSRTC will temporarily hire the electric bus from Goldstone Infratech Limited for the trial run. Officials confirmed that the cost of operating e-buses would be very low compared to that of their diesel and CNG counterparts. The only area to be checked during the trial run is the response of the vehicle to the city’s road conditions and the mechanical fitness, it said.