Hubballi
The central government has approved the allocation of 200 electric buses to the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) under the PM E-Drive scheme, paving the way for green public transport in the twin cities in the near future.
Of the sanctioned buses, 100 each will be deployed in Hubballi–Dharwad and Belagavi.
For the maintenance of these buses, depots are being set up on five acres each in Hubballi and Belagavi. The depots will be constructed at a cost of Rs 31.47 crore, including Rs 16.39 crore for civil works and Rs 14.88 crore for electrical works. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared two months ago and submitted to the Centre, which granted the approval, said NWKRTC officials.
The buses will be introduced under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. The central government will call tenders and also appoint drivers, while NWKRTC will provide conductors. The contractors who win the tender will be responsible for bus maintenance. The Centre will provide subsidies on a per-kilometer basis, while the remaining cost will be borne by the corporation, said M Priyanga, Managing Director, NWKRTC.
Currently, ordinary diesel buses provide a mileage of just 4.8 km per liter, costing the corporation nearly ₹3 crore daily on diesel. Each EV bus is expected to cover 220 km per day. Once the operations begin, detailed data on mileage, fuel savings, and efficiency will be available.
The Hubballi–Dharwad region currently operates over 450 buses, with around 250 buses scrapped annually. Since a bus has a life span of about 15 years, the introduction of EV buses will help reduce the shortage and improve services, officials added.
According to M Priyanga, the tendering process will begin shortly, and the rollout may take two to three months.