Chandigarh gets 40 new AC e-buses; 20 more to ply on inter-state routes

The Union government had sanctioned 80 electric buses for UT Chandigarh under Phase-II of FAME India Scheme.

Banwarilal Purohit on Monday flagged off 60 air-conditioned electric buses, in two batches, 40 of which will ply within the city. (File Representational Photo)

Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Monday flagged off 60 air-conditioned electric buses, in two batches, 40 of which will ply within the city.

The remaining 20 will be used on long routes.

After flagging off the buses on Monday, Purohit said that the 20 buses selected for inter-state operations was delivered to Chandigarh as part of an agreement signed in March 2022 with M/s Tata Motors. These buses will ply from ISBT-43 and ISBT-17 to Pathankot, Batala, Fatehabad, Amritsar, Abohar, Katra, Manali, Ludhiana, Shimla, Jaipur, Jhajjar and Haridwar.

These new air-conditioned buses, as per UT officials, adhere to the latest emission standards, BS-VI, and have latest electronically controlled diesel engines.

The remaining 40 intra-city buses flagged off on Monday was delivered to Chandigarh under an agreement signed with M/s Volvo Eicher in February 2022. The first lot of five buses out of these, were flagged off by Union Home Minister on July 30 this year, and have already entered commercial operations. On Monday, the remaining electric buses were flagged off and these vehicles will cover routes from New Maloya Colony to Ram Darbar and Manimajra, ISBT-43 to Manimajra and Behlana, and Maloya to Mansa Devi.

The Union government had sanctioned 80 electric buses for UT Chandigarh under Phase-II of FAME India Scheme. The first lot of 40 buses were launched last year and have entered commercial operations from November, 2021 onward.

According to the data available with The Indian Express, as many as 50 lakh passengers have travelled on electric buses that were introduced in Chandigarh last year, thereby leading to 4.28 lakh litres of diesel being saved.

On a daily basis, approximately 15,500 passengers in Chandigarh travel in the mini electric buses that were flagged off in September last year.

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The electric buses, since their introduction, have quickly become the preferred choice of commute for passengers. The transport department has plans to replace all diesel buses in the Tricity with electric ones by 2027-2028.

Data obtained by The Indian Express showed that the electric buses in Chandigarh together have logged around 21.50 lakh kilometres and have saved 4.28 lakh litres of diesel till September this year.

AVERAGE PASSENGER RIDERSHIP

Chandigarh buses saw a daily average ridership of 95,000 passengers during the last year, while the electric buses saw an average of 15,500 passengers riding them daily, data showed.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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