Trial run of electric buses begins in Surat; 100 new buses likely to roll out in Nov

Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) will begin a trial run of a new electric bus from Tuesday to assess its technical performance, safety and operational suitability ahead of the expected rollout of the first batch of 100 new electric buses in November.

The trial bus will initially operate on Route No. 17 between Pal and Kamrej. The nine-metre-long bus has a seating capacity of 23 passengers. SMC officials will evaluate parameters including battery performance, charging time, acceleration, passenger comfort and its suitability for city operations.

A detailed report will be prepared based on the trial, after which the civic body will decide on further procedures for regular operations.

The SMC is working to expand its public transport network while reducing dependence on diesel-powered buses and curbing vehicular pollution. The civic body has also sought an allocation of around 600 new electric buses from the Central government as part of its green mobility initiative.

At present, the SMC operates a network of city bus and BRTS services, with more than 650 buses running on various routes across Surat. The services cater to more than 2.25 lakh passengers daily.

The civic body plans to gradually replace older diesel buses with electric vehicles to make public transport more environmentally friendly and efficient. The first batch of 100 electric buses is expected to be delivered by November, subject to the completion of the required procedures and technical assessments. DeshGujarat