Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged-off 20 new e-buses from Chaura Maidan Shimla today thereby increasing the total number of e-buses in the town from 50 to 70. Interacting with media persons on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that currently, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) operates 90 electric buses, with 17 in Kullu, 5 in Mandi, 3 in Bilaspur and 50 in the Dhalli Depot in Shimla district.
Recently, additional 15 e-buses were added to the HRTC fleet in Dharamshala.The operational cost of these e-buses is approximately Rs. 25 per kilometer much lower than diesel buses. By promoting e-mobility, carbon emissions will be reduced, contributing to environmental preservation, he said.
Sh. Sukhu said that HRTC has issued a tender for 75 Type-I e-buses to be used in Shimla Local and Nadaun, and technical specifications have been finalized for 225 Type-II e-buses to replace existing diesel buses.
He said that the State Government would replace the entire fleet of 1500 HRTC buses with e-buses in a phased manner and necessary infrastructure was also being set-up. Furthermore, these e-buses would also be plied on Tourists circuit as well, he added.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was aiming to transform Himachal Pradesh into a 'Green Energy State' by March 31, 2026, for which various provisions in this regard have been made in the maiden budget of the present State Government.
The Chief Minister also travelled in an e-bus from Chaura Maidan to H.P. Secretariat to attend the Cabinet meeting.Deputy Chief Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, Education Minister, Rohit Thakur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Choudhary Ram Kumar, MLA Harish Janartha, MD HRTC, Sandeep Kumar and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion amongst others.