Following in the footsteps of Delhi and Maharashtra, Karnataka also plans to roll out all electric fleets in the state by the end of this decade, State Transport Minister B Sriramulu told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. The minister reportedly made the statement during question time in response to inquiries. The minister said the state had not purchased any electric buses so far, but they were operating on a contract basis. Going forward, however, Karnataka will soon convert buses to electric vehicles.
Karnataka Transport Minister B Sriramulu responded in a legislative session on Wednesday to ensure that all 35,000 buses in the state will be converted to electric vehicles by 2030. According to information provided by the minister, BMTC is currently operating 90 electric buses from December 2021.
According to the PTI report, the minister also highlighted the increase in diesel prices. He mentioned that diesel buses cost Rs. 68.53 per km while the contract electric bus costs Rs. 64.67 per km.
Under the Smart Cities Project, the state will operate 90 electric buses for 12 years from December 2021, while under the central government’s “Accelerating the Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles – FAME II program, the state 300 electric buses have been ordered” Minister.
The cost per kilometer of these buses is Rs. 61.90. 75. They became operational on 15 August 2022.
In May this year, the Delhi government approved the introduction of 1,500 low-floor electric buses into the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Brihan Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has also added electric buses to its fleet.