NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi, Mar 05
Giving a major boost to the government's vision to electrification in transport sector, as many as 40 electric buses would soon hit the roads of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation is soon going to introduce 40 electric buses in both Jammu and Srinagar regions likely from the month of May,” official sources here said.
They said that air and noise pollution free, electric buses will run on separate routes in both Jammu and Srinagar regions and added, “these lower floor buses will be added to the State Road Transport Corporation next month but will be made functional in May.”
Sources further said that an order of 255 buses have been placed to the manufacturing company across the country including 40 for Jammu and Kashmir, adding, “J&K will be among six other top cities of the country where these buses are being introduced.”
“JKSRTC authorities have already ordered 40 electric buses to the Tata Motors, which will be supplying the vehicles to J&K, Kolkatta, Indore, Lucknow, Assam and Jaipur cities,” they maintained.
“In the first phase, the delivery of buses has already started to West Bengal Transport Corporation and Lucknow City Transport Service Limited,” they added and said that the vehicles will be loaded with unique features like GPRS system, CCTVs, passenger and rear cameras besides the facility of maintaining the internal temperature depending upon the climatic conditions.
“Before setting the hi-tech buses into motion, Tata Motors will train the Corporation drivers while workshops will also be conducted to impart skill training to the mechanical staff about handling and maintenance,” they added.
Asserting that the buses will have fixed fare, an official said that each bus, which will be nine-metre long having a seating capacity of 30 passengers, will run for 150-kilometrs after being charged for two hours and only 0.8 units of electricity will be spent on every kilometre.
“Per kilometre, Rs 2 to Rs 3 fare will be fixed and the bus will run at the speed of 80 kilometres per hour,” they added and said that the introduction of electric buses will definitely generate economy for the under ‘crisis' State Road Transport Corporation.
“Each bus costs around Rs one crore and they are being manufactured in a special plant at Karnataka,” they said adding that a special team of JKSRTC officials, also visited to Karnataka to review the manufacturing of the buses.
