BHUBANESWAR: The state government of Odisha informed the assembly, on July 20, that it is going to introduce electric buses in the urban areas of the state in order to curb the increasing air pollution.
These electric buses will first be launched in the urban areas of Odisha. Ashok Chandra Panda, Science and Technology Minister said, in the first phase, these electric buses are going to run in the temple town of Puri along with the city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Panda added that the state government is scheduling to phase out the conventional transport system with the help of electric buses. These e-buses are going to operate within the radius of 100 km, covering the cities of Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. He further added that regarding this proposal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed soon. Addition of electric vehicles in the public transportation system is for sure going to reduce air pollution in the state.
Along with this, incentives for commercial three and four-wheelers are being provided under the Rs 10,000 crore FAME II scheme. These extend to two-wheelers for personal use as well. However, currently, there are no incentives for people purchasing electric public vehicles.