Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd., Coimbatore will be introducing battery-operated buses to ferry around passengers in the city, by 2020.
Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd., Coimbatore will be introducing battery-operated buses to ferry around passengers in the city, by 2020.
This would be a major step that will eventually replace the diesel-operated vehicles in the future and help revive the cash-crunched Corporation.
While the State Government has decided to purchase 100 buses as the first phase, as many as 20 buses from this fleet will be operated in Coimbatore," said a senior transport official to Simplicity. He added that these buses will be air-conditioned and would be similar to those operated inside the airport to transport passengers. "Compared to the normal diesel buses, the seating capacity will be relatively lesser with may be just 36-40 seats.
The buses are to cost about Rs.1 crore and is being bought by the State in collaboration with Kreditanstalt fur Weideraufbau (KFW), a German state-owned development bank," revealed the official. He also said that work orders have been given for the construction of buses and it is likely to be delivered by 2020.
"The detail project report is under consideration and will soon be finalized. The Corporation plans to operate the buses mostly on Avinashi and Trichy routes. This is considering the good road conditions and operational feasibility," said the official and added that Mettupalayam and other routes will also be considered depending on road conditions and other factors.
The official stated that for other operational purposes, a nodal office will function in Chennai. To address the technical issues emerging in the vehicle, technical experts from Coimbatore, Madurai and Chennai will undergo training at the facilities in Bangalore. The transport official further revealed that the Government was planning to utilize the Central Government's project to add 1300 more such buses in the coming years.
"This would be a great development and boost for the State. The decision would help reduce carbon emission generated by fuel-operated vehicles and will help in keeping the environment clean," he reiterated.