The APSRTC has been making extensive planning to replace all existing diesel buses with electric buses, besides to secure only electric buses, thus helping pollution-free transport and also facilitating considerable reduction in bus fares.
Presently, more than 1,000 electric buses will soon join the APSRTC. Already tenders have been invited for the introduction of 1050 buses, which will be finalized soon. The center will provide electric buses to the state at a fixed time. While electric buses are currently running only in Tirupati city, now many cities and towns including the capital Amaravati, Vijayawada, and Guntur will be running in the surrounding areas.
While pollution will be significantly reduced with the arrival of electric buses, passengers will often avoid paying high fares. The state government, which has set a goal of introducing electric buses in phases to replace all diesel buses in the institutions in the next five years, is formulating and implementing action in that direction.
The central and state governments have taken steps to reduce pollution emissions in the atmosphere, including providing better transport facilities to passengers. As part of this, electric buses are being introduced into the public transport system. The central government is putting 1050 electric buses on the roads in AP under the ‘PM e-Bus Seva’ scheme. The central housing and urban development ministry is monitoring these matters.
The tender process was started for introducing electric buses in collaboration with Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL). The central government will provide a direct subsidy of Rs 35 lakh per bus to the respective companies. By the end of this year, all the buses will be handed over to RTC. All the buses will be run by RTC on a rental basis.
Under the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Seva scheme, 750 electric buses were initially sanctioned on rental basis for 11 cities in AP. CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu has written a letter to the Union Housing and Urban Development Minister requesting for the sanction of an additional 350 electric buses to travel to the holy shrine of Tirumala, and the center has agreed.
Currently, 50 electric buses are plying between Tirumala and Tirupati, but more electric buses will be made available to devotees. Visakhapatnam City -100, Vijayawada City -100, Guntur City -100, Nellore City -100 buses each will be allocated. 50 electric buses have been allocated to the capital Amaravati. Kurnool -50, Kadapa -50, Anantapur -50, Kakinada -50, Rajahmundry -50 buses each have been sanctioned.