Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister, virtually inaugurated e-buses in multiple cities on Tuesday, but locals are still waiting for a ride in these high-tech vehicles since there are no charging stations. Nevertheless, some are in the process of being established.
KK Sharma, regional manager of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is anticipating that these buses will be operational by the end of next week.
On Tuesday, five electric buses were dispatched to Meerut and Agra but are not operational due to lack of charging infrastructure.
On the first day, the department was able to charge the electric buses using generators, but now the task of establishing suitable ports is underway. The documentation is also pending, and the engineering institute, which was supposed to assist UPSRTC with demo and trial of the bus, has not responded, stated a senior UPSRTC official on the condition of anonymity.
These electric buses, which take approximately 40 to 45 minutes to completely charge and can go 130 to 150 kilometres, are outfitted with GPS and an Intelligence Traffic Management System. The fare for these AC buses is the same as an e-rickshaw, and the facilities are the same as Volvo.
According to reports, a charging and repair station is being built on Agra Municipal Corporation land on Hathras Road. The construction was originally supposed to be finished by the end of December, but it was pushed back.
The buses were supposed to run between Agra Cantt railway station and Bhagwan Talkies. However, after a few rides, the buses were parked at the ISBT bus station.
“Generators were arranged, however, we are experiencing some technical challenges,” said Manoj Pundir, MD of City Transport Service Limited, an electric bus depot is being built and will be ready in two weeks.
The state administration has decided to replace obsolete diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses with contemporary electric buses. According to the idea, 580 electric buses would be operated under contract in nine main cities. 150 of these buses will run in Agra and Mathura, which are part of the Taj Trapezium Zone.
