Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Lakshman S. Savadi said on Sunday that the government will roll out electrically operated city buses in the State on a trial basis in February.
If the trial starting from Bengaluru is successful, buses will be introduced in phases in other cities in the State, he said.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a bus stand for city buses of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Udupi, the Minister said that 350 electrically operated buses will be run first in Bengaluru on a pilot basis.
The government will get those buses on a lease through bidding.
The Union government is encouraging and supporting States to introduce electrically operated buses to reduce the pollution level in cities. An electric bus would cost about ₹ 2 crore. Of this sum, the Union and the State governments together gave a subsidy of ₹ 88 lakh, with ₹ 55 lakh being the Union government’s share and ₹ 33 being borne by the State government.
Investors in electric buses will be paid an agreed amount per km basis.
The Minister said that the State now has more than 26,000 electrically operated vehicles. The government is waiving road tax for electric vehicles to encourage their use in large numbers.
The Minister said that the government has fulfilled nine of the 10 demands of employees of the State-owned transport corporations put before the government last year.
The operating cost of buses can be reduced by using ethanol blended fuel.
He said that steps will be taken to name the bus stand being constructed for outstation KSRTC buses in Udupi after the former Minister late V.S. Acharya.
Chairman of the KSRTC M. Chandrappa said that amid facing the impact of lockdown due to the COVID-19 and increasing fuel cost, the KSRTC is giving good service to people without hiking travel fare. It took steps to ensure that its employees are paid full salary during the COVID-19 period.
Udupi MLA K. Raghupati Bhat said that both the private and government sector buses in Udupi are providing good service to people. They should not resort to unhealthy competition.
He said that the Transport Department should take steps to introduce colour coding for autorickshaws being operated in the jurisdiction of the city.
The bus stand for city buses inaugurated on Sunday has been constructed at an estimated cost of ₹ 3.95 crore.