HYDERABAD: In a letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, transport sector stakeholders, supported by the TGSRTC Employees Union, have urged state governments to ensure that electric buses supplied under the FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) scheme are owned by TGSRTC instead of being leased from private companies.
The letter stated that the Centre launched the FAME-II scheme to reduce air pollution by promoting electric mobility and offers up to 35% subsidy to manufacturers for supplying e-buses.
“Currently, many buses are provided to RTCs on a rental basis,” they noted, arguing that direct subsidy routing to RTCs for outright purchases would strengthen the corporations financially, protect staff ratios, and support recruitment, thereby generating employment.
They further proposed that RTCs use their existing body-building units and skilled workforce to assemble or retrofit buses into electric vehicles in collaboration with firms like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland which would help cut costs.
So far, around 600 electric buses have been deployed in RTC fleets, and the government plans to introduce an additional 2,000.