Chandigarh | A big step is being taken to make public transport in Chandigarh city more clean and new technology. 100 new electric buses will soon run on the roads of tricity by CTU (Chandigarh Transport Undertaking). These buses will replace the old 100 diesel buses running in Depot No. 4.
The Transport Department has sought permission from the Union Home Ministry (MHA) to purchase these buses. The department has also received a positive response from the Center and now the ministry has asked to send a copy of the RFP (Request for Proposal), which the department has prepared to send on Monday. Tender worth Rs 550 crore, subsidy of Rs 24 per km
The department has prepared a tender of about Rs 550 crore for the purchase of 100 e-buses. These buses will be 12 meter ultra low floor AC buses. CTU has signed an agreement with PMI company for their operation. These buses will be operated on kilometer basis, for which CTU will pay Rs 61.80 per km to the company. In this, a subsidy of ₹ 24 per km will be given by the central government. The driver of the company and the conductor of CTU will be deployed in every bus. 80 e-buses are currently running in the city
Currently a total of 80 e-buses are running in the city. Of these, 40 buses are being run by Ashok Leyland, which has an agreement of Rs 154.01 crore for 10 years. The remaining 40 buses are being run under an agreement of Rs 115.44 crore signed with Volvo-Eicher in February 2022. CTU is paying Volvo-Eicher at the rate of Rs 44.99 per km. New e-buses will be AC only
The new electric buses will be AC only and will be run on inter-state and tricity routes. This will give city dwellers a better, comfortable and pollution-free travel experience. Compared to diesel buses, these buses are not only environment friendly but are also cheaper in maintenance and operating cost.