Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has taken another major step towards cleaner and more sustainable public transportation with the launch of 25 new Type-I electric bus services of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) in Mandi district.<\/p>\n
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu virtually flagged off the new services from Paddal Ground in Mandi town, describing the expansion of electric mobility as an important part of the state government\u2019s vision of a \u201cGreen Himachal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Chief Minister said the state government has procured 297 Type-I electric buses to expand HRTC\u2019s electric fleet. These buses are already operating in Shimla, Nahan, Nalagarh, Una, Haroli, Bilaspur, Dehra, Hamirpur, Palampur, Dharamshala and Nagrota.<\/p>\n
With the required charging infrastructure now developed in Kullu, Mandi and Sundernagar, electric bus operations in these areas are also being expanded.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the performance of the new fleet, Sukhu said Type-I electric buses have a prescribed driving range of around 180 kilometres at 80 per cent State of Charge (SoC). Their performance in the state\u2019s challenging hilly terrain has been encouraging, he said.<\/p>\n
An electric bus operating on the Shimla-Chandigarh route has successfully covered around 270 kilometres on a single charge, demonstrating the potential of electric buses for longer inter-city routes.<\/p>\n
The shift towards electric buses is also helping HRTC reduce its operating costs. According to the Chief Minister, electric buses are generating savings of around \u20b912\u201313 per kilometre in energy costs compared with conventional diesel buses.<\/p>\n
The savings are expected to reduce HRTC\u2019s fuel and operational expenditure while improving the efficiency of public transport services.<\/p>\n
Alongside the green transport push, the government has set an ambitious financial target for HRTC. Sukhu said the state government aims to make the corporation self-reliant within the next five years.<\/p>\n
At present, the government provides buses to HRTC and extends an annual grant-in-aid of \u20b9840 crore. The corporation generates an equivalent amount of revenue through its own resources.<\/p>\n
The Chief Minister said the government plans to further expand HRTC\u2019s clean-energy fleet, with proposals to procure 1,000 more electric buses and 200 hydrogen-powered buses in the coming years.<\/p>\n
The expansion is expected to reduce HRTC\u2019s dependence on fossil fuels while supporting the state\u2019s efforts to cut carbon emissions and promote environment-friendly mobility.<\/p>\n
Sukhu said the government had envisioned a \u201cGreen Himachal\u201d in its first budget and that the expansion of electric bus services is an important step towards achieving that objective.<\/p>\n
He said continued investment in electric buses and charging infrastructure would help create a modern, reliable and energy-efficient public transport network across the state.<\/p>\n
The launch of 25 new services in Mandi marks another significant step in Himachal Pradesh\u2019s transition towards cleaner transportation, lower operating costs and a more financially sustainable HRTC.<\/p>\n