Bengaluru: Seven years after Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) researching electric buses for the city, the first E bus was launched on Thursday.
Passengers must wait until November to travel in it.
After checking it in the Kengi bus depot, the Minister of Transportation B Sriramulu said: “The Chairman of the Minister of Basavaraj Bommai formally conducted a 10 e-bus in November.” The first bus will undergo a trial in road conditions and traffic after completing the registration of the Department of Transportation.
BMTC is a transportation utility managed by the first state in this country to conduct an e-bus trial in 2014.
However, induction was postponed for various reasons.
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) along with JBM automatically gets a contract to provide 90 non-AC, MIDI (9-meter) e-buses.
This is for Metro Feeder services on the gross cost contract model (rent) under the Smart City Bengaluru scheme.
BMTC pays Rs 51.67 per kilometer with electricity for 180 kilometers guaranteed per bus for 10 years.
Each bus can take 33 passengers.
The remaining 89 buses will be inaugurated in stages on December 15.
BMTC can face operational challenges in running this bus.
Although it can run 120km per single charge, BMTC must ensure they go full distance, according to the tender provisions.
Officials say the chances of charging (charging batteries for short periods throughout the day) 45 minutes will be given to cover the remaining 60km.
In fact, BMTC must pay the lower utilization fee (50% GCC) if the e-bus runs less than 180 km per day.
“It is difficult to operate 180km per bus during weekends and holidays when demand is low.
Also, we need to arrange additional charging facilities,” said BMTC officials meanwhile, BMTC will accelerate 300 e-bus induction under the adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles on India (Fame) – scheme with Ashok Leyland bidder to supply them.
BMTC officials say filling infrastructure is available at Yeshwantpur, Kr Puram and cengeri.
Although the additional charging point is planned in Banashankari, my referral and the central silk board especially for charging opportunities, it has not been resolved.
“We plan to spread 30 buses each electric feeder to the west, north and east,” said an official.
At present, the operational costs of non-AC bus diesel are Rs 65 / km.
This means savings around Rs 15 / Km.
“Operational costs are less and environmentally friendly,” said a BMTC official.