Team Herald
PANJIM: The Central government has sanctioned 50 electric buses for State run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) under FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles), scheme.
KTCL Chairman Carlos Almeida said that the Central government has allocated 50 electric buses instead of its demand for 250 buses. “We had sent a proposal for 250 buses under the Green Transport Scheme,” he said.
Almeida said all 50 buses, which will hit the roads from November onwards, will operate on public-private partnership basis.
The chairman said that the buses would be used on long haul routes and a revenue sharing process with a private agency would be worked out after finalisation of the tender process.
The cost of these buses is around Rs 2.4 crore, of which Central government will sanction 60 per cent of the amount, while 40 per cent will be borne by the State government.
Almeida said special training will be conducted for the drivers to run these electric buses.
KTCL had on trial basis last year launched an electric bus. The 12m, K9 model bus was supplied to KTCL by a Hyderabad-based company.
