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With buses operated by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) consuming nearly 6 lakh litres of fuel each day, efforts are under way to reduce the resulting carbon footprint, estimated at around 1,200 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.
TGSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director V. Nagi Reddy said this was a key factor driving the State-run undertaking’s push towards electric mobility.
Mr. Reddy said that more than 60 lakh passengers travel daily on TGSRTC services, with women accounting for nearly 60% of the ridership. The corporation operates a fleet of 10,081 buses, which together cover about 32 lakh kilometres every day.
“Nearly 6 lakh litres of diesel are consumed daily, which is 600 tons of diesel. This results in roughly 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide being pumped into the air. That is the scale of pollution generated every day. And this is only from public transport. There are several other vehicles as well,” Mr. Reddy said, adding that the Telangana Government had directed the corporation to adopt electric buses to curb pollution.
As many as 2,000 electric buses have been sanctioned under the PM e-Drive scheme, he said, adding that another 200 buses would be introduced shortly. “At present, 400 electric buses are being operated in the city, while 550 inter-city buses are in service,” he said.
Mr. Reddy expressed satisfaction over the pace of adoption, but noted that the cost of an electric bus currently stands at around ₹1.2 crore per unit. A more viable price point for the corporation, he said, would be in the range of ₹80 lakh to ₹85 lakh.
Outlining the roadmap, he said that between 2025 and 2030, about 35% of the TGSRTC fleet is expected to transition to electric. This would be supported by allied infrastructure, including solar systems at 51 locations and the development of green spaces across 10% of depot areas. Diesel buses would be phased out between 2030 and 2039, with the aim of achieving a fully non-polluting fleet, he added.
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