Although public transport remains the lifeline of an urban city, it is also a major contributor to its pollution levels. Electric buses are the best answer to this dilemma and it is good to see many state governments in the country shifting to e-buses as part of their public transport fleet. Apart from checking pollution levels, e-buses are good alternatives for financial reasons also.

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Public transport plays a vital role in the daily life of people in urban cities. A large percentage of the public uses buses as its daily commute to work. An obvious reason for that is buses are always more affordable as compared to the other means of transport, like auto-rickshaws and cabs. Not without reason, there are more than one lakh state-run buses plying on Indian roads. The flip side, however, is that public buses are also a major contributor to the increase in pollution levels in cities.

According to official figures, public transport contributes to 13.5 per cent of India’s total carbon dioxide emissions. The use of electric buses not only reduces CO2 and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, it also curbs pollution levels in cities. By using e-buses for public transport in cities, state governments can make passenger ticket cost cheaper.

• According to official figures, public transport contributes to 13.5 per cent of India’s total carbon dioxide emissions.
• The use of electric buses not only reduces CO2 and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, it also curbs pollution levels in cities.
• By using e-buses for public transport in cities, state governments can make passenger ticket cost cheaper.

According to official figures, public transport contributes to 13.5 per cent of India’s total carbon dioxide emissions. That puts the Government in a bind – while it has to take all possible steps to curb pollution, it cannot deprive the public from the use of public transport. The solution is provided by electric buses, which are the perfect low- carbon alternatives to diesel-run buses. The use of electric buses not only reduces CO2 and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, it also curbs pollution levels in cities. That’s the reason why many metro cities in the country are witnessing a huge shift to electrification of public transport.

Another reason for the changeover is that most state governments have been incurring huge amount of money on the maintenance of public buses, most of which are over-aged. A large expenditure on fuel has also been a drain on the exchequer of most states. Electric buses lighten this burden a great deal as their maintenance costs very little. Also, EVs require fewer fluids to be changed and there is no need to change oil filters frequently. Moreover, their brakes wear down slowly because of regenerative braking technology. Since there is no engine to maintain, e-buses remain very cost-effective.

State governments can save millions by adoption of e-buses for public transport. E-buses are not only beneficial for the environment, they are also economical on the budget of both the governments and the public. By using e-buses for public transport, states can make passenger ticket cost cheaper. Therefore, it’s good to see many states shifting to electric bus services in their major cities. Some of the cities, like Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore and Navi Mumbai, have already added a large fleet of e-buses to their public transport and more are following gradually.