Chandigarh’s wait for electric buses gets longer

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29

The city’s wait to get electric buses has got longer, as the arrival of 19 environment-friendly vehicles has been delayed.

The city was to receive a fleet of 19 electric buses on September 30, but the manufacturer has expressed its inability to supply the buses by the scheduled date, said an official of the Transport Department. He, however, said the company had assured to supply 10 such buses by October 10 and the remaining buses in a phased manner. He added that the city would receive a total of 40 buses by the end of November.

The first electric bus had hit the UT roads on August 11. After completion of a month-long trial run of the first electric bus, the UT Transport Department had asked the manufacturer to make some technical changes in the bus.

The decision on running the electric buses for public would be taken after the arrival of buses, the official said. “The procurement of another 40 buses is under process. These are expected to be received by the next year,” he added.

The Department of Heavy Industries, GoI, has okayed 80 electric buses for UT under the Phase-II FAME India scheme.