In a major step to maintain the Tirumala hills as pristine as possible, the APSRTC plied its first electric bus on the Tirumala ghat road on Saturday.
The 9-metre-long bus supplied by Gold Stone company is specially meant for the serpentine ghat road, known for its sharp curves and hair pin bends, while the 12-metre format is used for the Gannavaram – Velagapudi route in the State capital region.
The bus was formally set rolling on the ghat road in the presence of RTC Executive Director G. Maheshwara, Regional Manager T. Chengal Reddy, TTD Chief Vigilance and Security Officer A. Ravikrishna, General Manager (Transport) P.V. Sesha Reddy and Gold Stone technical head Ravindra Babu on Saturday. The bus has already been plying on plain roads for the last two days.
Hands-on training
The RTC has provided hands-on training to five drivers in the nuances of running this special e-bus, having a capacity to seat 32 passengers. When fully charged, the bus can run up to a distance of 275-300 km. Equipped with cushion seats and safety mirrors, the gearless vehicle also has sensors to alert the driver on obstacles on the path, thus helping prevent accidents. There is also a CCTV camera that enables the driver to watch the passengers getting in and out. Once the trial run turns successful, 40 more buses are expected to be introduced on the ghat road.
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