Hamirpur (HP), Aug 14 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government is preparing to purchase 1,000 new buses to strengthen the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) fleet, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday.
Speaking to the media after flagging off 35 electric buses at the Hamirpur bus stand, Sukhu said the possibility of operating 200 hydrogen-powered buses in the state was also being explored.
He said the move was aimed at modernising the state’s public transport system, making it environment-friendly and strengthening the HRTC financially.
The state government has already purchased 297 electric buses for the HRTC, Sukhu said, adding that their operating cost was around Rs 38 per km, compared with Rs 70-75 per km for diesel buses.
Increasing the number of electric buses would help reduce the corporation’s daily operating expenses and curb pollution, he said.
The chief minister said changes would also be made to the HRTC’s administrative structure to strengthen its finances. The focus would be on reducing the number of high-level officials while increasing the number of drivers and conductors.
Drivers and conductors play the most crucial role in the operation of bus services and are the backbone of the corporation, he said. PTI COR BPL SMV SMV AMJ AMJ
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