Dharamshala Roads Gear up for 15 E-Buses

Close on the heels of Srinagar and Jammu announcing the introduction of 200 electric buses, Dharamshala has announced a similar initiative. Dharamshala roads will soon welcome 15 e-buses. This announcement comes as part of its smart city project, which is said to have gathered momentum following this news.

This is a pilot project developed between HRTC and Dharamshala Smart City Limited Company.

The initiative will introduced 15 e-buses, with one for HRTC’s fleet. Nine of the ten charging stations that were to be installed have been set up already. EV owners will now have access to these stations.

This move will serve as the answer to traffic and pollution while also providing services to congested regions where diesel buses cannot go.

The electric buses that will be introduced will have between 15 to 25 seats. A slot for wheelchair will be added as well. Quick charging time, air suspension and quick conditioning are other features. The electric buses have been made as per FAME 2 Scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles).

The buses will be flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Mukesh Agnihotri, who also looks after transport. These will be inaugurated at the smart bus stand at Mcleodganj. The minister also shared other important updates at the Electric Vehicle Expo. He added that in one month’s time, Himachal Pradesh will have its own EV policy and that the work on it is under progress. Primary among these is the announcement that 1000 buses of the State’s 3500 fleet will be replaced. While 15 e-buses will ply on Dharamshala road, Shimla will see the introduction of 20 electric buses. He further added the replacement work has begun. Electric vehicle charging stations are already being set up in various districts of Himachal Pradesh. In phase one of the plan, close to 300 electric buses are being purchased. The infrastructure for EVs is also being upgraded as part of the drive.