As part of the pilot project, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) or UP Roadways will roll out 100 electric buses which will operate on selected routes in Lucknow and Ghaziabad. The initiative is in line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s push to operate electric vehicles in the state for the convenience of citizens and the improvement of the environment.
These two cities have been selected for the first phase of the pilot project, which will later be expanded to other cities. Additionally, the state Department of Transportation is working to make travel more affordable for bus users. So far, AC buses have been approved for 2X2 seating arrangement buses, “but the plan now is to contract bus services with a new arrangement of 3X2 seating under the new contract bus scheme”.
Also read: Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2023 coming soon
Under this scheme, the fare for a 3X2 seat bus is ¥1.63 per kilometer, and the fare for a 2X2 seating arrangement bus is ¥1.93 per kilometer. The former mechanism would make a difference of about 30 paise per kilometer, making AC buses more affordable.
Uttar Pradesh Transport State Minister (Independent Head) Dayashankar Singh told ANI that LOIs have been issued to 1,235 buses, including regular and interchange buses, of which 770 buses have already started operating in the area.
In terms of EVs, Uttar Pradesh has introduced EV policy in October 2022 to further accelerate the adoption of EVs. The policy grants a 100% exemption on road tax and registration fees for the purchase of all types of electric vehicles for the first three years of the new policy.
(input from ANI)
First published date: May 29, 2023 at 10:57 am IST
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