Electric buses set to hit Amritsar roads in December

The nine proposed routes will cover around 160 km and connect major educational institutions, hospitals, government offices, airport, railway station, bus stand and religious places.

The Municipal Corporation may revise the routes or make new additions as per passenger demand.

The buses will also ply in Model Industrial Park, Mustafabad and Khankot. Some stretches will extend up to 7.6 km beyond the city limits. The vehicles are expected to reduce vehicular emissions and boost connectivity.

Charging infrastructure is being developed at the BRTS depot on the Verka bypass and the city bus workshop at Mall Mandi. The Verka depot will have 15 charging stations, while 10 are planned at Mall Mandi. For the charging facility in Verka, the tender price is Rs 2.29 crore and for Mall Mandi, it is Rs 1.59 crore.

Around 60 parked city buses have been removed from the Mall Mandi workshop to make room for the electric fleet.

The facility will accommodate 40 electric buses, while the Verka depot will have space for 60.

The Mall Mandi workshop is being renovated at a cost of Rs 3.63 crore to develop a bus terminal.

The work on parking infrastructure is in its final stages.

The proposed routes include IIM to Khasa (30 km). Another route will connect the Golden Temple’s Ghee Mandi Chowk with Rajasansi via the railway station. The 16-km route is planned to have 14 buses. A 22-km route will connect Sri Guru Ram Das Institute with Ram Tirath.