In a first in India, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation now has the largest fleet of 40 electric buses, which would be fully operational from Wednesday.
The buses, 20 each from Miyapur 2 Bus Depot and Jubilee Bus station, would make their way to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Speaking to media persons, TSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Sharma said given the large number of buses which would ply the roads, the project is not experimental. The TSRTC, he said, has embraced technology and would leverage it ‘in a big way’.
Touching upon the non-polluting nature of the e-buses, Mr. Sharma said they would be immune to fluctuations in fuel prices. He claimed that the Corporation’s agreement with Olectra Greentech Limited and Build Your Dream would be one of the best and would be emulated by other States.
The buses, he said, would make their way to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad where they would halt at the arrival ramp. The officials said there were a total of 30 charging points at the Miyapur 2 Bus Depot, JBS and the RGIA.
In another first in the country, the TSRTC would be pressing into service e-buses that are 12-metre in length. As many as 4.7 lakh passengers per month are expected to use the buses.
On the payment structure, Olectra said it was based on the gross cost contract. Spread over 12 years, the TSRTC would pay ₹ 33 per km and the cost of power too would be borne by the Corporation. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, Liu Xueliang, managing director, BYD India and BYD Asia Pacific, said there was a great potential in India for e-vehicles and $200 million has been invested in them thus far.
K.V. Pradeep, director of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Private Limited, which owns close to 51% stake in Olectra, said a plant was being established near Shamshabad. “It will provide direct employment to around 2,500 youth and indirect employment to 4,000 in three phases,” he said.
The first phase would be completed in 18 months and the rest in two years.
Olectra-BYD has thus far deployed over 100 e-buses in the country. Apart from 40 in the State, there are 25 in Himachal Pradesh, 25 in Maharashtra, 10 in Kerala and six in Mumbai. Another two are operational on the tarmac at the RGIA at Shamshabad.