Bengaluru to get another 100 electric buses to reduce carbon footprint

The Bengaluru Metro Transport Corporation received the 100 electric buses on Friday from an electric vehicle company Switch Mobility.

Bengaluru has received another 100 electric buses and they are expected to reduce the carbon footprint in the city. The Bengaluru Metro Transport Corporation received the 100 electric buses on Friday from an electric vehicle company Switch Mobility.

For each electric bus, the government of India has funded ₹55 lakh and the Karnataka government funded ₹33.33 lakh.(PTI)

“It’s a big day for India’s tech hub, #Bengaluru! We are proud to announce that the next 100 SWITCH EiV 12 BMTC buses have been delivered to @BMTC_BENGALURU(Sic),” Switch Mobility tweeted.

According to the company, these electric buses will reduce the carbon footprint in the city. “The buses will reduce CO2 emissions by over 14,500 tonnes per year in the city (the equivalent of planting 87000 trees!)(Sic),” it said in another tweet.

For each electric bus, the government of India has funded ₹55 lakh and the Karnataka government funded ₹33.33 lakh. The buses are non-AC and 12-metre-long with a seating capacity of 40 people, excluding the driver. They also have the facility of a wheel-chair mechanism which is also electrically operated. The facility is for physically challenged commuters of Bengaluru who board buses regularly.

These electric buses come with CCTV cameras, LED lights and emergency panic buttons for the safety of commuters and they will operate 150km at a single charge and the other 75 kilometres can be covered by providing “opportunity charging”.

The BMTC had earlier announced 300 electric buses. Seventy-five electric buses are already introduced in the city and the transport organisation is yet to announce the routes of the latest 100 buses.