The state government of Uttar Pradesh is planning to introduce 500 electric buses into its transportation system. These buses will either be purchased by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) or procured on contract from private companies.
The UPSRTC will initiate a tender within the next three months to acquire 100 electric buses, each with an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore and a range of 250 kilometers between recharges.
The companies providing these buses will also be responsible for installing charging infrastructure at locations provided by the UPSRTC. They will need to train UPSRTC drivers to operate the electric buses and handle their annual maintenance.
Alongside the purchase of 100 electric buses, the UPSRTC is planning to lease an additional 250 electric buses through an upcoming tender. These leased buses will be operated by drivers and conductors from the private agency that enters into a contract with the corporation.
The UPSRTC board has decided to deploy these electric buses in routes connecting religious and historical cities, as well as cities of cultural and tourist importance. Additionally, they will serve as inter-city transportation options. The state government has allocated over Rs 600 crore for bus procurement in the previous and current financial years.
Each electric bus will have 51 seats and will be equipped with a Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) and panic buttons for passenger safety. These buses will be integrated into the Corporation’s command control center. The fares for air-conditioned electric buses will be similar to other AC buses operated by UPSRTC, while non-AC electric bus fares will align with those of regular buses.
