Committed to adopt electric mobility, Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) has decided to unveil electric buses in Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur.
Officials said that initially, 10 electric buses will be purchased. Based on the feasibility, a decision will be made to purchase more buses.
Sunil Kumar Chandravanshi is an additional commissioner at RMC.
He said that 10 electric buses would be purchased under the ambitious government scheme to promote electric vehicles. A tender has already been launched in this regard.
Chandravanshi added that after the tendering process is completed and the winner has been selected, the bus will have to be delivered within three months.
According to the officer’s assessment, these buses are expected to play a major role in reducing vehicular emissions.
This will also help to reduce the cost of diesel. The buses will be powered by electricity only, eliminating noise and pollution. Electric buses will replace diesel buses as soon as they become popular.
MIC member and chairman at RMC, Ajit Kukreja said that the 10 electric buses would be purchased for Rs 12 crore.
The air pollution caused by petrol and diesel is expected to increase in the future. Everyone is aware of this issue. He added that speed charging stations, costing around Rs 2 crore, will be installed throughout the city.
Kukreja said that the corporation would follow the Chandigarh example and give the buses to the company that will purchase the vehicles. He added that a fixed amount of revenue from the sale of the buses will be paid to RMC as a royalty.
Kukreja said that in the second phase, 40 buses would be purchased, and the existing buses, whether they run on diesel or petrol, will be removed from the roads.