First batch of five electric buses arrives in Puducherry; trial run in a few days

The Hindu

27-05-2025

After a long wait, the first batch of five electric buses, including a prototype, have arrived in Puducherry from Hyderabad. Another bus is expected this week.
The low-floor buses supplied by Evey Trans Private Limited, a subsidiary of Olectra Greentech, reached Puducherry on Monday (May 26, 2025) and is aimed at strengthening the public transport sector's shift to electric vehicles.
Commuters in Puducherry and its suburbs can now expect an improved and hassle-free travel experience, thanks to the modern features of these electric buses, officials said.
The charging station for the electric buses is being established by Evey Trans Private Limited on a 25,000 sq. ft. site belonging to the Puducherry government on Maraimalai Adigal Salai. A major portion of the work is completed, and the facility will be ready in the next two weeks.
According to Transport Commissioner A.S. Sivakumar: 'As many as five buses have arrived, while another bus is expected this week. The remaining 19 buses will be inducted in a phased manner before July-end. These buses have been brought in under the FAME-II scheme of the Government of India.'
'The 25 buses (10 AC and 15 non-AC) are 9-metre buses and will be run under Gross Cost Contract (GCC) in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The ₹23-crore seed funding from the Smart City project will be utilised for the payment on per km basis along with ticket revenue. The buses will ply on 15 tentative routes within urban areas, and will be operated under a Viability Gap Funding model.'
The prototype of the bus will be on a trial run for a few days to assess its technical and mechanical strength. It will ply on designated routes for a few days without any passengers to check single charging range and other practical aspects. The buses will then be formally flagged off by the Lt. Governor and Chief Minister, and be available for city residents.
Tentative routes
The buses will ply on two routes — the first one starts from the railway station and ends at the airport, and goes through the old bus stand, new bus stand, Indira Gandhi square, Rajiv Gandhi square, and Jeeva colony. The second route starts from Puducherry to the airport, and will ply through the railway station, Government General Hospital, Ajantha signal, Karuvadikuppam, and Lawspet.
With the charging station being set up by the operator getting ready, Evey Trans Private Limited has planned to charge the buses at a facility run by another private operator near the toll gate at Morattandi. This company already operates electric buses from Puducherry to Chennai, and the facility will be used for charging buses overnight, Mr. Sivakumar said.
The upcoming charging station includes allied infrastructure with annual fleet-level guaranteed operations of 200 km per day per bus, for a period of 12 years. The operator is to foot the electricity cost and all maintenance costs of the buses.
The Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) or Puducherry Urban Transport Agency (PUTA) will be responsible for the fare collection and passenger tax on tickets, while all other permissions and clearances, including registration, insurance, stage carrier permit, Motor Vehicle Tax, and GST on kilometre charges, will be borne by the operator.
An escrow account has been created and all revenue generated and the income accruing from the operation of the buses will be deposited into the account. This would help in rationalising the prices that would be paid on a per kilometre usage.
The battery-operated buses have a life of 6-7 years and cover over 200 km in one charge. It takes around six hours to charge the buses.