VIJAYAWADA: With prices of diesel reaching an all time high and showing no signs of coming down, the cash-strapped State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) has been contemplating to include electric buses into its fleet. Even though the cost of electric buses would be at least three times more than that of AC buses, the Corporation is contemplating to introduce electric-bus services in Amaravati Capital region on a pilot basis.
According to RTC officials, the Vijayawada region of RTC has 470 buses in its fleet, covering nearly 1.32 lakh km a day. However, there are several complaints against its old diesel buses that emit heavy smoke. Recently, a team of representatives from leading bus manufacturers Ashok Leyland and Goldstone Infratech Limited has expressed their interest in supplying electric buses for the Corporation in the capital region.
The higher officials in the corporation estimated that RTC requires nearly Rs 3 crore to buy a single electric bus, whereas a single air conditioned bus costs about one crore.
The state government has lately been contemplating to bring out a policy in offering subsidy for purchasing the electric buses and if the Centre also offer special exemption, the RTC can purchase electric buses at around Rs 1 crore, they said.Officials added that representatives from Ashok Leyland and Goldstone Infratech Limited are in discussions with the Centre over offering exemptions to the state-owned public transport corporation.
When contacted, APSRTC Executive Director (Engineering and IT) A Koteswara Rao said recently a meeting was convened with the electric bus manufacturers and they were directed to build bus body of 12 metres length. The existing buses in the corporation are between 8-11 metres.