Kolkata the only Indian city to feature in flagship report of international agency for successful operation of electric buses

Kolkata: Kolkata is the only city from India whose successful operation of electric buses has featured in the flagship report of International Energy Agency (IEA) - Global Electric Vehicle Outlook (GEVO) 2020 that was released on Monday in Paris. The city presently has 80 electric buses plying in different routes.

"We are committed to provide a smart, clean, and eco-friendly transport system in the state and to introduce vehicles that run on cleaner fuel, thereby reducing carbon footprint. It is my conviction that this step will significantly reduce particulate matter (PM) pollutants and will help citizens breathe cleaner air," said Suvendu Adhikari, state Transport minister.

The West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) has set a target of fully electrifying its fleet of buses by 2030, which would entail 5,000 e-buses in operation. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) conducted the case study on the impacts of share of e buses in Kolkata with support from the IEA, WBTC, and Bengal Transport department.

"Kolkata has been a pioneer in e-mobility and we would like to increase this for a better environment. I would like to thank IEA and TERI for including Kolkata as the only city from India and showcasing its successful operation of electric city buses in the flagship report GEVO 2020," said Prabhat Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary, state Transport department.

The report states that behind the successful running of 80 e-buses in the city is a smartly planned charging station placement and operation scheme, which leverages existing infrastructure and provides both slow and fast charging options. New Town was the first place to introduce e buses and presently three buses are plying in dedicated routes.