Page 64 - TT Magazine Feb-Mar 2019

MAKING A POINT

Electric Bus experiment in NCR

Electric mobility got another impetus as Delhi government issued the
tender for procuring the operation of 375 electric buses out of a total of the
promised 1,000 e-buses.

A Health if operational, this will be the largest fleet in our conditions, especially when
World
of electric buses in the world after China.
study
Organization’s
temperatures in the summers touch
around 50 degrees Celsius. There are also
estimates that nine out
Figuring out the
operation challenges like our bus systems
of every 10 people in the
world breathe air that
contains high levels of pollutants. This procurement model are subjected to huge overloading.
Delhi government’s tender is not
Also, the EV technology is evolving
results in a premature death of over 70 about buying buses but procuring the and therefore, we still don’t know
lakh people every year. The recent data operation of electric buses. This means how the vehicles will perform in our
suggested that Gurugram is the most selected bidder will have to bring in conditions, say five to seven years
polluted city while the National Capital the buses, operate and maintain it down the line. Besides, the charging of
Region (NCR) has emerged as the most for the specified period. Bangalore vehicles and its impact on the local grid
polluted region in the world in 2018. Metropolitan Transport Corporation is also an issue that has been quoted a
It has been widely reported that (BMTC) decided to cancel a similar number of times. Therefore, the 1,000
motor vehicles contribute around 30% tender for Bangalore. The agency, e-bus project in Delhi will surely provide
of PM 2.5 concentration in the NCR. as reported in the media, is looking tangible answers to these questions and
Therefore, both the announcements are to buy buses instead of getting the hopefully, help alienate fears around
good news for urban India. However, operations. This is where Delhi has got this new technology.
it is Delhi’s electric bus experiment that its procurement model right. Transport It is estimated that there are around
can create a transformational impact. companies in India traditionally buy 16 to 17 lakh buses in India. The
buses and operate them. This works
Creating a sizeable pilot well with the conventional diesel or CNG majority of them run on highly polluting
project buses because the entire ecosystem, diesel engines. CNG buses did offer a
better choice but their deployment has
Electric bus trial runs have been including manpower, workshops, and suffered due to lack of CNG availability
happening in India for a long time now. other facilities, are built around them. in cities. Electric buses, on the other
Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and many Electric bus is all together a different ball hand, offer a cleaner, healthier and
other cities have run a couple of electric game. Therefore, it is important that cost-effective alternative.
buses. But the biggest electric bus fleet public agencies should do what suits The fuel is not a problem while the
operation in the country is happening in them best, i.e. planning and monitoring. source is still coal-based and not green
Himachal Pradesh. Himachal State Road The operation and maintenance can be but the rapid rise in renewables is
Transport Corporation (HSRTC) runs left to manufactures or operators. This helping in cleaning the electricity.
a dozen electric buses from Manali to is where Delhi gets it right.
Rohtang Pass. The number of buses will Removing the fear of a new In addition to buses, Gurugram
go up by 25. technology can also look at changing the highly
It is estimated that around 30,000 buses polluting diesel auto rickshaws into
electric ones. The combination of buses
run in our cities as public transportation A bulk of the electric vehicles (EVs) and auto rickshaws can help the city
system. Therefore, running a couple of are manufactured as well as consumed remove the infamous tag of the most
dozen buses will not make any tangible in China. In fact, the electric bus space polluting city in the world.
change in the public transport system of is totally dominated by the Chinese
the country. However, Delhi’s approach manufacturers. Amit Bhatt
for having a fleet of 1,000 electric buses However, there are fears and rightly so, Director- Integrated Transport, WRI India
is big enough to create a change. In fact, around how these vehicles will perform Source: Hindustan Times

64 February - March ’19 / TrafficInfraTech www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com