Electric buses go on a trial run in Visakhapatnam

In its bid towards making Visakhapatnam a cleaner and greener space, the Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL) has conducted trial runs of two electric buses in the city on Friday. The trial runs, of an air-conditioned bus and ordinary bus, were conducted from Asilmetta to Pendurthi, via Maddilapalem and Simhachalam, and Pendurthi to Dwarakanagar via NAD Junction and 104 area.

The buses, which operated in the BRTS (bus rapid transit system) corridors in the city, were evaluated for certain key factors and performance indicators, before operating them on a regular basis. After the successful completion of their trial run, these electric buses are expected to operate in a full-fledged manner within a span of three months.

Speaking to Eenadu, Senior Manager at Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure Asset Management Limited (APUIML), Chetan Yarlagadda, informed that tenders have been invited to operate as many as sixty electric buses in Visakhapatnam.

While it will just be the bus drivers during the first two days of the trial run, the ensuing one month period will have the buses carry passengers free of cost. However, given that the buses are registered temporarily, the GVSCCL authorities have been trying to seek the permission of the Transport Department to carry passengers in the electric buses.

The electric buses, owing to their eco-friendly features, are expected to serve the effort to address the rising pollution levels in the city. Other salient features include hydraulic doors, lack of gearbox and computer monitored speed and brake system.