Hyderabad: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar inaugurated 60 electric buses at the Kukatpally bus depot as part of Telangana’s push for eco-friendly public transport services.
Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao, MLC Naveen, RTC Managing Director Nagireddy and Medchal district collector Manu Choudhary attended the programme.
Addressing the gathering, Ponnam Prabhakar said the government launched electric buses under the Green Challenge initiative to promote environment-friendly transportation.
The minister stated that the Telangana government planned to introduce more electric buses by 2027 to reduce pollution levels across the state.
Electric buses to expand across Telangana
Ponnam said Telangana currently operated 960 electric buses statewide. Among them, 545 buses were running in Hyderabad while 580 buses served inter-city routes.
He also announced that the state would receive another 2,200 buses under a Central Government programme.
According to the minister, deployment of 3,000 electric buses could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 600 tonnes.
Ponnam Prabhakar said Hyderabad must promote electric mobility to avoid pollution problems similar to Delhi.
The minister also highlighted the impact of rising petrol and diesel prices on public transport systems. He stated that RTC currently operated around 10,000 buses, including nearly 1,000 electric buses.
According to Ponnam, buses would help reduce both pollution and traffic congestion in Hyderabad.
He further stated that nearly 35 lakh passengers used RTC services daily across the twin cities.
buses likely to support depot expansion plans
The minister also discussed expansion plans for the Kukatpally depot. He suggested that district officials and RTC authorities coordinate with Housing Board officials regarding allocation of five acres for a new depot.