Superb!! 500 Electric buses to be procured by TN soon!!
Bids have been floated by the Institute for Road Transport or IRT in TN to procure as many as 500 low floor electric buses. Out of these 500 buses, 340 buses would be airconditioned with charging solutions. It is said that the IRT would be carrying out department improvement works in cities like Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai depots under the KfW funding.
Point is that Chennai based MTC would get 320 electric buses whereas Kovai and Madurai would get 100 and 80 electric buses respectively. This would be under the Climate Friendly Urban Mobility Programme.
It is learnt that out of 340 buses all the 320 electric buses for MTC in Chennai would be airconditioned and Coimbatore would get 20 such type of electric buses. Under Madurai`s sanctioned electric buses, there are no airconditioned buses. The superb piece of information us that these buses would help the differently able persons plus women and children etc by improving their accessibility.
Dedicated electric bus depots:
The bus depots present in places like Adyar, Ayanavaram and Tambaram would be developed into a dedicated electric bus depot.
Information collected is that the bus depots belonging to TNSTC in Coimbatore in localities like Sungam and Ondupudur would be developed into a dedicated electric bus depots. In the same manner, bus depots in Madurai in places like Ponmeni and Thirumangalam would be developed into a dedicated electric bus depots.
In the next 2 years, the state transport undertakings would get Rs 2200 diesel buses and 500 electric buses. The funding would be provided by the Geramany based KfW bank.
To support eco- friendly public transport system, KfW bank would extend financial assistance for developing depot infrastructure.
It must be noted that MTC has already awarded contract to Ashok Leyland subsidiary OHM Global Pvt Ltd for the procurement of 500 low floor electric buses including 100 airconditioned ones under the Gross Cost Contract or GCC.
It is learnt that MTC would avoid a capital expenditure of about Rs 875 crores in procuring 500 electric buses plus maintenance expenses and payment of salaries to drivers and staffs etc.
As against Rs116 per km expenditure incurred for operation of diesel based buses, MTC would pay Rs77.16 per km for operation of non a/c electric buses and Rs 80.86 per km for airconditioned electric buses.
