Bengaluru: If everything goes according to plan, Bengaluru will get 1,500 electric buses under the grand center challenge plan.
Convergence Energy Services Ltd., PSU under the Union Minister of Strength, recently launched a tender worth Rs 5,500 Crore to carry 5,580 e-bus (5,450 one-decker and 130 double-decker) throughout the country.
Bengaluru is expected to get 1,500 e-bus under the scheme.
While Kolkata will get the maximum number of e-bus (2,000), Delhi will receive 1,500, while Hyderabad and the letter will get 300 and 150 letter, respectively.
The big challenge was open to nine cities (with more than 4 million populations) but only fifth this entered the last list.
CESL officials said cities had to look at the e-bus between July 2022 and March 2024.
“This will help reduce operating costs and eliminate congestion in the procurement of electronic buses with the country’s transportation business,” said an official CESL.
However, BMTC officials are more interested in buying e-buses.
BMTC V Anbu Kumar Managing Director to Tell Stoi: “We plan to induce 1,500 non-AC buses for the next three years.
We want to buy this bus instead of having a rental model.
We have a booster and better mechanical staff, experienced than Private company.
We discussed with CESL on this.
“He added that there was no request for AC bus after Covid-19.
The central subsidy component is around Rs 55 lakh per bus, but the state government has not committed to the subsidy section so far.
With 1,500 e-bus, BMTC will have a total of 1,890 buses managed by the battery.
The remaining 390 e-bus is 90 mini-electric bus (9m long) and 300 electric buses (12m long).
Of the 90 mini-electric buses delivered from NTPC-JBM under Bengaluru Smart City funds, 60 has reached the city.
“The remaining 30 will arrive from the JBM Auto factory from Kalan Kalan, near Mathura at Uttar Pradesh, at the end of this month,” said a senior BMTC official.
NTPC-JBM will operate these buses for 10 years in the Gross Cost Contract Model (GCC) with a speed of RS 51.67PKM with electricity guaranteed for 180 km every day.
However, all 90 e-bus will only operate at the end of February.
“We have a plan to organize filling infrastructure in three depots: cengeries, yeshwantpur and kruram , “said an official.
Separately, BMTC recently issued work orders to Ashok Leyland to provide 300 e-buses under adoption and manufacturing electric vehicles (fame) which were faster at the center.
These buses will also arrive in Bengaluru in the next six months.
The first porotype bus will come in March.
Switch mobility, Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle arm, will run this bus at Rs 48.95pkm for 12 years.
The 12m e-bus that is sworn in under Fame II will have a seating capacity of 41.
BMTC has decided to replace the buses thrown away by bus-e.
“We are crossing an average of 400 buses a year.
We plan to induce 600 e-buses a year and 30-40% of passengers will use it,” said an official.