Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to give a major boost to eco-friendly public transport with addition of 600 new electric buses to the present fleet of 450 e-buses, announced Housing & Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra today.
He informed that the state requires around 1,000 e-buses to meet its growing demand. Of these, 200 will be procured by the State Government, while 400 will be provided by the Central Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
In the first phase, 25 e-buses will be deployed in Sambalpur, followed by phased introduction in Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Berhampur and Angul. The services will be operated by Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) under its “Ama Bus” initiative, aimed at providing safe, affordable and green transport.
Odisha has already secured the 5th position nationally in e-bus operations, achieving a significant milestone in sustainable mobility. Across the country, 14,329 e-buses are in operation under flagship schemes such as PM-E Bus Sewa and PM-E Drive, from which Odisha is actively benefiting.
“With the rollout of 600 e-buses, Odisha is taking a decisive step towards greener cities and smarter urban transport,” Mohapatra said.
