Ghaziabad municipal-corporation propose 20 electric-vehicle public charging stations

The officials have allocated 180 square feet of space for each charging station, with four stations earmarked for the Kavi Nagar and City zones, three for the Vijay Nagar zone, five for the Mohan Nagar zone, and four for the Vasundhara zone. These stations will be strategically situated near main roads

The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation is taking steps to enhance the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the city by proposing the establishment of 20 public charging stations, officials said on Wednesday. These plans have been submitted to the State Urban Development Department, along with identified locations in five different zones, officials aware of the matter said.

Currently, Ghaziabad city operates a fleet of 50 e-buses that serve as state-run public transport on six different routes. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The officials have allocated 180 square feet of space for each charging station, with four stations earmarked for the Kavi Nagar and City zones, three for the Vijay Nagar zone, five for the Mohan Nagar zone, and four for the Vasundhara zone. These stations will be strategically situated near main roads.

Nitin Gaur, the municipal commissioner, said, “The proposal has been forwarded to the State Urban Development Department, identifying 20 points for vehicle charging. The request for this proposal came directly from the state government, and the corporation has responded by recommending these locations.”

Among the notable locations suggested by the corporation are Duhai on the Delhi-Meerut Road, near the Arthala metro station, Kanawani in Indirapuram, Saur Urja Marg in Sahibabad, near Max Hospital in Vaishali, close to the Hindon airbase, and near the Mohan Nagar crossing.

According to official records from the Regional Transport Department, Ghaziabad district currently has a small number of electric vehicles, including 11,393 e-rickshaws, 11,689 e-carts, 1,591 two-wheelers, 136 e-autos, and 51 e-buses. These vehicles are registered among a total of approximately 789,000 vehicles.

Kesri Nandan Chaudhary, the regional manager of the UP State Road Transport Corporation, said that the 20 proposed charging points on main roads will serve as public vehicle charging stations. “The aim is to promote the use of electric vehicles, and the government plans to upgrade infrastructure across 24 districts. This initiative not only encourages electric vehicle adoption but also contributes to pollution reduction,” he said.

The proposal aligns with the Uttar Pradesh Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Mobility Policy 2022, as confirmed by the officials. The directorate of Urban Transport within the State Urban Development Department requested the proposal for charging stations.

Currently, Ghaziabad city operates a fleet of 50 e-buses that serve as state-run public transport on six different routes. However, these buses must travel to the Behrampur depot to recharge their batteries, which takes approximately 45 minutes for a full recharge to cover a 200km distance.

Chaudhary added that although the Behrampur depot is the sole facility available, future plans involve establishing charging infrastructure in a distributed manner. “These e-buses have a daily ridership of around 10,000 passengers and have become increasingly popular, boasting one of the highest riderships in the state,” he said.

Furthermore, the officials revealed that there is already a proposal in progress at the government level for an additional 90 e-buses to be introduced in Ghaziabad city.