TGSRTC restores 118 more JBM electric buses after safety clearance

TGSRTC has restored 118 more JBM electric buses after detailed safety inspections, taking the total number of cleared buses to 268. Services were suspended on July 2 following battery-related fire incidents, with the remaining fleet expected to resume operations soon.

Hyderabad: After nearly a week-long suspension over battery safety concerns, TGSRTC has begun restoring JBM electric bus services in phases, with 118 more buses receiving fitness clearance on Wednesday.

According to officials, the technical team certified all 118 buses as 100 per cent fit for operation after detailed inspections. The corporation operates a fleet of 500 JBM electric buses across the State.

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Earlier, 150 buses had already been cleared and returned to service. With the latest approvals, a total of 268 buses are now back on the roads, while the remaining fleet is expected to resume operations over the next few days after completing safety checks.

TGSRTC Managing Director Y Nagi Reddy has directed Regional Managers across all regions to operate additional bus services on routes where JBM electric buses are still unavailable, ensuring that passengers do not face inconvenience.

The fitness certification is being issued only after inspections by TGSRTC’s technical team, JBM engineers, and battery experts from China at the Command and Control Centre set up at Bus Bhavan in Hyderabad.

TGSRTC had suspended the operation of all JBM electric buses across Telangana on July 2 as a precautionary measure following a series of battery-related fire incidents, including one near Alugunur in Karimnagar district on June 21.

The corporation had made it clear that buses would be allowed back into service only after each vehicle was individually certified as ‘Fit for Operation’ and all prescribed safety conditions were met.