Odisha Follows Bengaluru To Deploy Electric Buses To Reduce Emissions

In an attempt to reduce pollution and promote renewable energy, the Odisha authority plans to deploy electric buses in the state’s three cities. An unofficial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been propagated among all stakeholders in preparation for the upcoming bidding process. The move follows last year’s project of Bangalore whose purpose is to distribute 1,500 electric buses in the city.

In front of Odisha Assembly, Science and Technology Minister Ashok Panda has informed about the plan. According to his announcement, Odisha will call a halt to the conventional fleet vehicles in the near future due to concerns about the environment. Instead, they are going to operate electric buses within the radius of 100km in the urban area. At the first stage, the electric vehicles will be introduced in three places including Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack. If this trial runs smoothly, it would mark the first phase of transportation electrification in this state.

A larger vision of Odisha government

The state of Odisha seems very serious in the implementation of pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. The intention of expanding electric buses system into other cities reveals that there might be a lease model. They will look for a supplier who can take charge of the vehicle maintenance, the infrastructure used for charging while operating the whole system.

However, such a plan concerning electric buses is just part of their overall vision towards minimizing the dependence on fossil fuels and the impacts of carbon dioxide in India. A resident of Odisha said the step would help them reduce pollution and save more oxygen for all the living creatures. According to some environmentalists, the plan when being rolled out will lessen the use of non-renewable energy like coal or petroleum.

About Bangalore’s e-buses project

Earlier this year, the state of Bangalore expressed their interest in incorporating electric buses in its transport fleets. Following that, they summited a proposal of buying 100 e-buses through government funds, announced in May 2019. In the period of five years, the state plans to have a total of 1,500 electric buses running on the road. Purchasing from global and local manufacturers is their current scheme.