The Jammu and Kashmir government is procuring a fleet of 200 electric buses to establish environment-friendly and socially sustainable network of public transport in the Union Territory’s twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, officials said on Friday. For this, Tata Motors has been given land to build the depot whose construction has started, they said.
The Jammu and Kashmir government is procuring 100 e-buses each for both the capital cities, the officials said.
The electric buses will establish an environmentally, socially and financially sustainable network of public transport in the city, said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) Rahul Yadav who reviewed the project.
He said that the electric buses will play a vital role in facilitating tourists as well as people.
Last month, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that 80 percent of Delhi’s bus fleet will run on electric by 2025, asserting that acquisition of e-buses will go a long way in reducing pollution in the national capital. Sharing a roadmap for procurement of electric buses, he said the government will be buying 1,500 such buses in 2023 and by 2025, 6,380 electric buses will be procured.
“We have 300 electric buses now. Delhi has 7,379 buses plying on its roads currently which is the highest number of buses plying on the roads in the last 75 years. New buses were not purchased for many years and we were also questioned over it,” he had stated at the time. Out of the 7,379 buses, more than 4,000 are being operated by the Delhi Transport Corporation and over 3,000 through the DIMTS, he added.
