Electric Buses Start Off In Andaman, Supporting Emissions Clean Up

The Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands flagged-off a fleet of 14 electric buses on Republic Day. The project for 40 electric buses is being executed by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN Limited), a 100 percent subsidiary of NTPC Limited, a PSU under Ministry of Power, Government of India. Charging infra for these buses has been established with the help of the local electricity department and APWD in Port Blair. Routes in South Andamans have also been checked for load and driving conditions.

The introduction of electric buses in the Island union territory will help cut down tailpipe emissions as well as provide comfortable public transport for people there. Electric buses have been a key part of the push for cleaner transportation, especially public transportation, as the latter has been both underfunded and fossil fuels driven till now in India.

In addition to the above project, NVVN has emerged as a successful bidder for providing a turnkey solution for 90 electric buses in Bengaluru under the Smart City project. These buses will provide last-mile connectivity to the NAMMA Metro (Bengaluru Metro) network.

Moreover, NVVN is developing and providing a complete range of zero-emission mobility solutions for various vehicle segments, to encourage faster migration to electric vehicles.

Earlier in the second week of January 2021, the Transport Department of Delhi had issued three request for qualification and proposals (RFQP) for the operation of 575 electric buses (E-buses) in the capital. Three tenders have been issued by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) for RFQP of 275, 110, and 190 E-buses.

The spurt in activity hopefully signals a return to the kind of urgency that was promised till 2019, till the Covid-19 pandemic threw most plans into disarray. At the moment, most states have fallen behind on their Electric bus plans announced till early 2020.

Electric car Tata Nexon was also a part of the 72nd Republic Day parade and passed. It was showcased on the tableaux of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.