E-Paper
EV push, filling vacancies: Himachal’s looks to boost state roadways
Himahcal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the reforms will make HRTC self-reliant and generate more revenue and ensure timely payment of salaries and pensions to its employees and pensioners.
Looking to pull the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) out from financial losses, the state government is set to bring in reforms, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said late on Wednesday.
The comments at a meeting of the transport department, with the CM asserting that such reforms will make HRTC self-reliant and generate more revenue and ensure timely payment of salaries and pensions to its employees and pensioners.
As part of the reforms, the state government will initiate a recruitment drive to fill up vacant posts of drivers and conductors in HRTC. He said the same was aimed at enhancing efficiency and providing better services to the people of the state.
75 new e-busses in the offing
“HRTC is, in a phased manner, transitioning from diesel buses to electric buses. The current fleet already includes 95 e-buses and this number would be further increased in the near future,” the CM said, adding that plans are underway to purchase 75 Type-1 e-buses, with tenders already having been issued and the letter of award (LOA) expected by next month.
The routes for these 75 e-buses have been identified, and efforts are being made to develop the necessary infrastructure, including charging stations.
Besides, HRTC has also identified routes to replace 225 diesel buses with Type-2 e-buses, he added.
Sukhu said the state government had presented a green budget and was committed to transforming Himachal Pradesh into a ‘green energy state’ by March 31, 2026. “The state aims to become a model for e-vehicles and six green corridors were being established. Encouraging the use of e-vehicles was part of the government’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions,” he added.
During the meeting, the construction of the proposed bus port in Hamirpur was also reviewed. The CM announced that it would be constructed by the Himachal Pradesh Bus Stand Management and Development Authority (HPBSMDA) within the next two years. “Land has been identified for the construction of an e-bus depot at Nadaun in Hamirpur district,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, meanwhile, expressed his support for the efforts towards reform and emphasised commitment of HRTC to fulfilling its social responsibilities.
