Kolkata: More than 10,000 people have travelled in the AC e-buses in New Town, since they were introduced a month ago.
The buses are the only ones of their kind in Bengal. Their usage has been a major step towards making New Town a green city.
Three buses have been introduced that follow a circular route. Two buses are for Action Area I and one is for Action Area II. The buses go up to Unitech, covering the campus of St. Xavier's University and Karigari Bhavan. The average speed of the buses will be between 40-50 kmph.
The fare of the buses is Rs 10. There are no conductors. The drivers collect the fare themselves and a machine has been installed to generate the tickets. The bus drivers have been given special training to handle the buses, along with collection of tickets.
The battery needs to be charged and charging stations have come up. The body of the buses with 32 seats has been built by Eicher, while Karnataka based KPIT has installed the electrical systems. The buses are likely to be introduced in the middle of May. Trial runs are being made.
Three 50 KW overnight charging stations have been set up. It has been found that 5-6 hours are required to charge the battery from 0 to 100%.
New Town has been declared as a green city and steps have already been taken by Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO).
Cycle sharing, an eco-friendly scheme, has become a great success and discus-
sions are on to introduce e-vehicles on sharing basis as well. LED lamps have been installed in street lights to conserve power.