KDMT adds first nine electric buses to its fleet
Of the 207 buses which will ply in Kalyan-Dombivli, 77 buses are 12 metres long, while 130 are nine metres long.
Kalyan: The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT) undertaking has received nine new electric buses from its supplier Causis E Mobility Pvt Ltd, a part of the London-headquartered CAUSIS Group and will soon start plying in the twin city and Bhiwandi, civic officials said on Thursday.
The nine buses are the first instalment of the contract for 207 buses signed with Causes E-mobility. Of the total buses, 77 buses are 12 metres long, while 130 are nine metres long.
KDMT officials said that as per the agreement, Causis E-mobility is to supply the e-buses on a wet lease model, in which the operator takes care of drivers, fuel, and maintenance costs.
“The partnership between KDMT and Causis E mobility Pvt Ltd has been signed for 12 years. We will pay ₹56 per kilometer for 12 metre buses and ₹50 for nine-metre buses. The company will be given a subsidy of ₹45 lakh for each bus once in six years as per the agreement,” said Deepak Sawant, General Manager, KDMT Undertaking.
“The charging station will be ready by this week for nine buses in the Khambalpada area in Dombivli. Around 45 charging units will be set up and the bus takes about 50 minutes for charging. These buses can travel an estimated 180 km on a single charge,” he added.
KDMT operates around 75 buses daily carrying an estimated 70,000 passengers.