Himachal to induct 1,500 e-buses soon, says CM

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed that the new buses should have a minimum range of 350 km and be suitable for the state’s hilly terrain.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said 1,500 new e-buses would soon be inducted into the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) fleet, while the state government was also considering introducing hydrogen-powered buses.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Sukhu directed that the new buses should have a minimum range of 350 km and be suitable for the state’s hilly terrain.

“297 e-buses are already part of the HRTC fleet. The state government is also considering introducing hydrogen-powered buses. Soon, 100 green hydrogen buses and 100 super deluxe buses would also be procured,” he said.

Sukhu directed the authorities to speed up the development of e-charging infrastructure across the state. He said that 30 e-vehicles would be provided to HRTC officers. He also directed that Una district and the regional manager (RM) office at Nalagarh be made fully operational with electric buses.

Chairing the review meeting of the transport department, the chief minister said that the department’s revenue had been increasing steadily, rising from ₹510 crore in 2021-22 to ₹995 crore in 2025-26. He assured all possible support from the state government to fill vacant posts in the department.

Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the operation of e-buses was an important step towards environmental protection. He said HRTC was saving ₹18.19 per kilometre through the operation of e-buses.

Now pay challans on the spot

The chief minister on Wednesday also launched the ‘Challan2 Pay’ initiative, under which people can now pay traffic challans on the spot.

Under the new system, point-of-sale (POS) machines provided by Axis Bank will be made available to officers of the transport department. The initiative is aimed at facilitating payments but will also ensure greater transparency and accountability in the collection of challan amounts. “A digital record of every transaction will be maintained, and the amount collected will be directly deposited into the state treasury. Besides reducing cash transactions, the system will also help prevent the possibility of revenue leakage,” he said.

CM dedicates devp projects worth ₹108 crore in Shimla

Shimla Chief minister Sukhu on Wednesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of three development projects worth ₹108.16 crore in Shimla. One of the projects encompasses improvement and stabilisation works at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla at a cost of ₹66.81 crore to address subsidence, a statement issued here said.

He also inaugurated a parking and shopping complex at Old Bus Stand constructed at a cost of ₹6.85 crore. The chief minister laid the foundation stone of a residential complex for employees of the Shimla municipal corporation at Pashu Padav near Baluganj, to be constructed at a cost of ₹34.50 crore.