KSRTC may operate e-bus on Mysuru-Bengaluru route
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), which operates city services in Mysuru, will buy 50 electric buses, unlike the lease model being mulled over by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), thanks to its financial capability.
The state government announced 150 e-buses for Bengaluru and 50 for Mysuru in the 2017-18 budget, and KSRTC is considering operating electric buses on inter-city routes from Mysuru to places like Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Hassan and Kolar. If implemented, KSRTC will be the first state-run transport unit (STU) in India to operate inter-city electric buses.
KSRTC managing director SR Umashankar said the corporation is in talks with several Chinese companies to purchase e-buses can travel up to 200km when fully charged. It’s seeking the Centre’s assistance for it. “Operating e-buses in and around Mysuru is not viable so we’re planning inter-city routes. But some e-buses will operate in Mysuru too,” he said.
The initial cost of an e-bus is between Rs 2 crore and Rs 3 crore. He said: “We’re in a position to buy buses with financial assistance from the Centre and state. The Centre is offering assistance of more than Rs 85 lakh per bus, the state government is expected to provide 30% to 40% of the total cost and we’ll bear the remaining amount. We’re confident of making it profitable since operational and maintenance cost of e-buses are lower than diesel buses.” He said KSRTC will also train staff to handle buses and to set up charging points in depots. It’ll seek subsidized power from the energy department.
BMTC managing director V Ponnuraj had earlier told TOI the corporation had decided to invite private firms to operate e-buses since BMTC did not have the resources and expertise to operate battery-run vehicles.
Experts raised concerns over purchasing expensive electric buses instead of lease model as they turn into white elephants. “At this early stage, the only thing that can be done is a pilot deployment. But we must do this in a scalable way. First, a strategy to make the whole fleet electric should be developed and out of that a pilot can be deployed. It’s difficult to say if the lease or purchase model is feasible for electric buses, at this stage. The industry is nascent and the unit economics will be understood only after some time,” said Ashwin Mahesh, urban planner.
