Bhubaneswar to use electricity-driven vehicles as public transport

Bhubaneswar-Puri Transport Services Limited has submitted a proposal to the Centre to achieve considerable targets in using electricity-driven vehicles as public transport alternatives and ensure greener environment for the city.

The plan is to lessen the environmental burden in the city. “Through strategic investments in public transit infrastructure and last mile connectivity modes, the city is aiming to induce a shift by 20 per cent travel to public transport by 2021,” said a transport body official.

The proposal estimated at Rs 219.75 crore was submitted to the ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises, in which the city proposed to include electric buses, four-wheelers, three-wheelers and two-wheelers to use the system through various charging points, which would be in place, in phases.

According to the proposal, 32km of priority transit corridors require 92 new electric buses to serve the purpose of 1.92 lakh passengers on a daily basis. For first-last mile connectivity within its area-based development of smart city, the city proposed deployment of 500 e-rickshaws, related infrastructure and charging stations by 2021.

The proposal was submitted with inputs from various experts. “The primary problem is to create a system for implementation of the e-vehicle policy. There is a need to create infrastructure for the electronic vehicles. After the proposal get Centre’s nod, officials will put in the job,” said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

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