After years of discussions and proposals, there seems to be progress on getting electric buses to ply on the city’s roads.
On Wednesday, Transport Minister H.M. Revanna told the Legislative Assembly that the process of identifying locations for installing charging points had started.
He was replying to a question by Congress member N.A. Harris, during question hour, and added that the points would facilitate the induction of electric buses to the fleet operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
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BMTC Managing Director V. Ponnuraj said that areas had been identified in the depots for the charging points, while tenders were being floated — expected in a matter of months — for the leasing or procuring of electric buses.
“If we buy or hire electric buses, the manufacturer or lessor has to install charging points at these locations,” he said.
It is expected to take less than six months since the issuing of the order for the electric buses to be delivered.
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It was late last year that the BMTC Board gave in-principle approval for induction of 150 electric buses, nearly two years after a “successful” trial involving three electric buses in 2014.
Meanwhile, Mr. Harris had appealed to the Minister to reintroduce mini-buses in Bengaluru as they were suitable for navigating through narrow roads.