City's first eco-friendly buses, powered solely by battery, crossed 10,000 footfalls last week.

The buses, launched in May, do not have diesel engines and run on “battery banks” which are regularly charged at special charging stations, said officials. As of now, only three air-conditioned, zero-emission buses are operational in Kolkata.

“We are monitoring the fleets’ performance before expanding it further,” said Debasish Sen, chairman, West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation, which is incharge of the operation of the buses in New Town area on the eastern fringes.

No toxic fumes

Unlike diesel-powered buses, the battery-powered ones do not release harmful fumes and are pollution-free, said Mr.Sen.

The drivers are especially trained to operate battery-powered buses, while the vehicles are entirely “conductor-free”. The driver issues a printed ticket and a turnstile gets unlocked, allowing the passengers into the seating area.

The officials have kept a minimal fare of ₹10 across all destinations for now.