With the aim to reduce vehicular pollution, the Chandigarh transport department will make 40 more electric buses operational in the city by October 15. With this, the number of electric buses plying in the city will reach 80.
Pradhuman Singh, director of UT transport department, said, “The buses have already arrived in the city and all formalities for their registration will be completed within a week.””
“The 40 electric buses which are already plying in the city have covered around 23 lakh kilometres, saving 4.62 lakh litres of diesel and causing 12.18 lakh kg lesser CO2 emission,” he added.
In September 2020, the Centre had sanctioned 80 electric buses for Chandigarh under Phase II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme.
The first electric bus was inducted into the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) last year in August. Currently, the 40 buses running on different routes connect city sectors and other parts of the tricity. Of the 80 buses, 40 are of Ashok Leyland and 40 of Volvo Eicher Firm.
The fare for non- AC buses is ₹10 up to five kilometres and ₹20 between five and 10 kilometres. For AC buses, it is ₹15 up to five kilometres and ₹25 between five and 10 kilometres
{{/usCountry}}The fare for non- AC buses is ₹10 up to five kilometres and ₹20 between five and 10 kilometres. For AC buses, it is ₹15 up to five kilometres and ₹25 between five and 10 kilometres
{{/usCountry}}EV Policy notified last month
In the Chandigarh Electric Vehicles Policy-2022, which was notified last month, UT had announced that it will stop registering fuel guzzling two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws after two years, and will only register electric vehicles (EV).
The policy aims at taking registration of electric private cars up to 50% in next five years and 100% in the segment of goods vehicles, commercial vehicles and buses. In order to dissuade people from buying vehicles running on fuel, the administration also said that registration of vehicles running on fuel will remain fixed for different categories and beyond that, only electric vehicles will be registered.