Commuters in New Town are likely to enjoy a better commute amid the ongoing transport crisis brought by the soaring fuel prices. The state Transport Department is mulling over plans to roll out 15 electric buses which are expected to be operated from this month.
The environment-friendly vehicles are to be trundled under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV (FAME II) project under the central government’s Ministry of Heavy Industries. The state Transport Department is targeting to introduce 50 such buses in the township gradually. The electric vehicles, according to sources, are to be operated between Ecospace and Bangur, New Town and Park Circus, Shapoorji and Airport, Shapoorji and Howrah, Shapoorji and Maheshtala.
As informed by sources, the buses are to be plied by private operators while the department is to provide the conductors who will submit the total number of sold tickets every day to the state government. The state government would share a percentage of the income with the private organisation.
Notably, the Transport Department is targeting to trundle about 1000 buses in the next three years. However, the unavailability of lithium for the production of batteries is said to be coming in the path of rolling out pollution-free vehicles.
Recently, a battery manufacturing company has proposed to set up an assembly unit in the state with the help of the West Bengal Transport Department. The company representatives are to come to the state to see the land and set up an assembly unit.