Karimnagar: Women SHGs to be encouraged to purchase buses, says Ponnam Prabhakar

A private firm JBM will operate all these electric buses from Karimnagar-2 depot, which has already been handed over to the private operator.

Karimnagar: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) was planning to encourage self-help group women to purchase new buses and engage them in the corporation.

Stating that the corporation would enter an agreement with women SHGs, he said talks were being held with MEPMA officials. Speaking after launching the TGSRTC‘s electric buses at Ambedkar stadium here on Sunday, he said 35 electric buses were being launched initially in Karimnagar region. The RTC, with the objective of reducing pollution, had decided to purchase 500 buses in the first phase. The State government was contemplating to operate diesel free (only electric) buses inside the Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad, he said, adding that overall, the corporation would purchase 2500 electric buses in a phased manner. The process for recruitment to 3035 vacancies through TSPSC and police department was also under progress, the Minister said.

Mayor Y Sunil Rao, TGSRTC MD VC Sajjanar, Collector Pamela Satpathy and others were present.

As for the electric buses, initially, 33 electric super luxury buses will be operated between Karimnagar and the Jubilee Bus Station, Hyderabad. Seventy electric buses have been allocated to the Karimnagar region as against request of region authorities’ for 100 buses. Of these, 35 buses have already reached Karimnagar. While 33 buses will be operated in between Karimnagar-JBS on a gross-cost contract (GCS) system, two vehicles will be kept on standby.

A private firm JBM will operate all these electric buses from Karimnagar-2 depot, which has already been handed over to the private operator. In this regard, both the private firm and TGRTC have already entered into an agreement. Besides appointing drivers, operation of buses would be done by the private firm while RTC would supply conductors and supervise the operation. A total of 14 charging points have developed in the depot. Besides laying an 11KV power supply line, three electric transformers were installed.

After getting the entire fleet of 70 vehicles, authorities will operate 39 buses on the Karimnagar-JBS route, nine on Karimnagar-Godavarikhani route, four on Karimnagar-Manthani route, six on the Karimnagar-Kamareddy route, six in Karimnagar-Jagtial and six in Karimnagar-Sircilla routes.