Bengaluru: With BMTC finally giving a green signal, Bengaluru will be the first city in India to launch 150 electric buses.

The trial was launched by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC’s) board for India’s first electric bus in February 2014. However, almost two years later, the proposal was approved here on Friday.

The proposal was delayed citing high costs. With BMTC clearing the proposal Bengaluru is all set to become first city to launch city bus transport operations using such a large fleet of electric buses.

BMTC managing director, Ekroop Caur, saying, “The board of the BMTC on Friday gave an in-principle clearance to induct the electric buses. Electric buses are the future of mass transit. We are not in a position to rely on fossil fuels in the long run. The electric buses are pollution-free and the maintenance and mechanical costs involved in operating these buses is very less compared to that of petro-diesel vehicles. The cost per kilometer will be Rs 8 where as for diesel it is Rs 18.”

“Two years ago, when the first electric bus was started on trial runs, the cost was very high. Now the electric buses are being manufactured in the country and we hope that we will get electric buses at a competitive price. In the Western countries, petro-diesel buses are being replaced by electric buses; even China is inducting electric buses in large numbers,” she added. There is also a proposal to set up an exclusive depot for the electric buses with the required infrastructure, which would include battery rechargeable points and well-equipped workshops, she added.

Commenting on plans of dropping procuring compressed natural gas (CNG)-run buses, she said, “In 2014, the BMTC proposed procuring 270 CNG buses. As of now we have no plans to procure the CNG buses. The cost involved in operating CNG buses is very high compared to the electric buses.”