The Greater Hyderabad area will soon see environmental-friendly electric buses plying on the roads.
The Transport Department has decided to deploy 100 battery-operated buses soon for which agreements have been concluded with manufacturers. The government, according to sources, has decided to hire buses in the initial stages with the cost pegged around ₹50 lakh a bus per year.
“Steps have been taken to hire another 500 battery-operated buses in the next phase and communication has been sent to manufacturers accordingly,” a senior official told The Hindu . The government has decided to set up charging stations at 64 locations, primarily bus parking zones, for charging the vehicles. “The vehicles, once fully charged, will run for close to 300 km,” the official said.
The Municipal Administration Department has agreed to provide necessary relaxations in floor space index and other norms for the proposed charging stations. The revenue model for the stations being set up in public-private-partnership mode would be announced once the proposed policy on electric vehicles is formally launched.
The Transport Department had intensified efforts to introduce an integrated transport system in the twin cities in the first phase. The proposed system would bring together the MMTS, Hyderabad Metro Rail, RTC and private service providers like Ola and Uber.
A bus tracking app is being developed to enable commuters to know about the availability of that mode of transport. A passenger on the metro rail/MMTS for instance can check the app to know about the availability of the bus/cab on the route he prefers to take after reaching a particular station. The government has decided to take steps to significantly enhance the number of two-wheeler taxis to ensure connectivity to the last mile.
“Details are being worked out for introducing single ticket system for availing multiple modes of transport,” the official said.
