Proposals sent to the Department of Heavy Industries

Hyderabad and Warangal will soon add another fleet of electric buses with the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation having sent proposals to the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) for 334 such vehicles.

For the past few months, the TSRTC was working on the finer details to augment its existing fleet of 40 Olectra-BYD electric buses.

The current proposals have been made under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase – II.

It was earlier reported in these columns that the TSRTC was mulling 550 electric vehicles, but sources said that the transport juggernaut has now settled for 334.

Transport Secretary and TSRTC Managing Director Sunil Sharma confirmed the development.

₹1 crore subsidy

Speaking to The Hindu, he said, “We have sent the proposals to DHI for the buses. Once they are sanctioned, we will call for tenders. The subsidy is ₹ 1 crore per bus.”

Of the 334 electric buses, 309 will be for Greater Hyderabad Zone, and the rest - 25 - will be allocated to Warangal as a part of the Smart Cities Mission.

Much like the Olectra-BYD feet of 40 AC-buses, the specifications in the proposal are for 12-metre low-floor buses. But, unlike the existing fleet, 334 buses will not be air-conditioned.

Explaining the rationale behind the decision, a senior TSRTC official said, “We have noticed that as compared to the popular non-AC buses, Metro Luxury AC-buses have a lower occupancy ratio. This is because of the higher ticket price. So, we decided to opt for non-AC buses. We expect a larger number of passengers to use them”

With the GST Council exempting tax on electric hiring buses by local authorities on Saturday, TSRTC clarified that State Transport Undertakings do not have to pay GST for this purpose.

Speaking to The Hindu, TSRTC Financial Advisor N Ramesh said, “The announcement will not have an effect as the TSRTC is already exempt from GST on electric buses.”