Himachal Government aims to make HRTC self-reliant in next five years
In a significant initiative towards promoting clean, green and environment-friendly public transport in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today virtually flagged off 25 new type-I electric bus services of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) for Mandi district from Paddal ground of Mandi town.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has procured 297 type-I electric buses to expand HRTC’s electric bus fleet. These new electric buses are currently operating in Shimla, Nahan, Nalagarh, Una, Haroli, Bilaspur, Dehra, Hamirpur, Palampur, Dharamshala and Nagrota. In addition, the required charging infrastructure has been developed in Kullu, Mandi and Sundernagar and the operation of new electric bus services in these areas is also commencing today.
The Chief Minister said that the prescribed driving range of type-I electric buses is approximately 180 kilometers at 80 per cent State of Charge (SoC). He said that the performance of these buses during operations has been highly encouraging. On the Shimla-Chandigarh route, an electric bus is successfully covering a distance of around 270 kilometers on a single charge, which demonstrates the suitability of electric buses for long-distance inter-city routes across the challenging hilly terrain of Himachal Pradesh.
Sh. Sukhu said that the operation of electric buses is also significantly reducing HRTC’s operational costs. Compared to conventional diesel buses, electric buses are resulting in savings of approximately Rs. 12-13 per kilometre in energy costs. This will not only reduce the Corporation’s fuel and operational expenditure but also improve the overall efficiency of public transport services.
The Chief Minister said that the expansion of the electric bus fleet is an important step towards reducing carbon emissions, lowering dependence on fossil fuels and promoting clean and green public transportation in the State. He said that with continued government support and expansion of charging infrastructure, the HRTC is steadily moving towards strengthening a modern, reliable, energy-efficient and environment-friendly public transport system in the State.
He said that the state government provides buses to HRTC and also extends an annual grant-in-aid of Rs. 840 crore to the Corporation. HRTC generates an equivalent amount of revenue through its own resources. He said that the State Government has set a target of making HRTC self-reliant within the next five years. He further stated that the government plans to procure 1,000 more electric buses and 200 hydrogen-powered buses in the coming years.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government had envisioned a “Green Himachal” in its first budget, and the introduction and expansion of electric bus services is a step forward in realizing this vision.
Additional Chief Secretary Omkar Chand Sharma and Managing Director, HRTC, Shivam Pratap Singh were present on the occasion in Shimla. At Mandi, HRTC Vice Chairman Ajay Verma, APMC Chairman Sanjeev Guleria, Vice Chairman, Jal Prabandhan Board, Shashi Sharma, District Congress Committee Mandi President Champa Thakur along-with other dignitaries, were present virtually.
