PM e-Drive Powers Hyderabad: City Plugs In for a Cleaner, Greener Ride

In a significant advancement towards sustainable urban transportation, the central government has approved 2000 electric buses for Hyderabad under the Prime Minister's e-Drive program. Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has thanked the government for the allocation, calling it a significant step towards pollution reduction and modernization of Hyderabad’s public transportation system.
 

The announcement came after a high-level review meeting chaired by the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D Kumaraswamy, where a total of bus allocation to major Indian cities was drawn up. Bengaluru will receive 4500 buses, Delhi 2800 buses, Ahmedabad 1000 buses and Surat 600 buses, in addition to Hyderabad.

 

Minister Prabhakar emphasized that Telangana is committed to operating 2800 electric buses within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits of Hyderabad and requested the Centre to approve the remaining 800 buses needed to meet the city's complete requirement. Noting that his request, along with the requests from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and senior ministers, was made during an earlier informal meeting with the Union government.

 

Telangana’s holistic Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, which includes a 100% tax exemption on EV’s, supports the state's aim to incentivize green mobility while lowering carbon emissions. The promotion of electric buses is a major component of Telangana’s EV policy.

 

The Prime Minister's e-Drive program aims to introduce 14,028 electric buses to Indian cities by March 2026, with a financial commitment of ₹10,900 crore. The Ministry of Heavy Industries stated that the zero-emission program, along with supporting programs, is being promoted by the Union government to support states in transitioning to cleaner, state-of-the-art public transport systems and to develop a strong ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of electric mobility throughout the country. 

 

Source: Siasat Daily