Private electric bus services to operate in Lucknow, Kanpur

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to introduce privately operated electric buses on select routes in Lucknow and Kanpur, in a move aimed at improving public transport connectivity in and around the two cities.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said 15 of the 16 proposals placed before the Cabinet were approved. One proposal, belonging to the agricultural sector, was dropped, he said, without elaborating on it.

Energy Minister A K Sharma said the electric bus project, approved as a pilot initiative, will run on a "net cost contract model," where private operators will bear all operational expenses and risks without government subsidy.

"This service will initially operate on 10 routes each in Lucknow and Kanpur. The government will retain the power to fix fares," he said.

The project involves a 12-year contract with private operators, who will be selected through a tendering process, Sharma said.

"The lowest bidder will be chosen, and operators will bear all costs, including the purchase of buses, driver and conductor salaries, and charging infrastructure," he added.

Each electric bus will cost around Rs 10 crore, excluding charging costs, Sharma said.

The identified Lucknow routes include Charbagh-Barabanki, Kamta-Airport, Balaganj-Mohanlalganj, Balaganj-Viraj Khand, Ghantaghar-Maal police station, Scooter India-Engineering College, Charbagh-Deva, Charbagh-Kursi, Durga-Gangaganj, and Ghantaghar-Sandila.

In Kanpur, routes include Ramadevi-Jahanabad, Fazalganj-Rura, Ghantaghar-Akbarpur, Kanpur Railway Station-Bindki, Kanpur Railway Station-Bithoor, Kanpur Railway Station-IIT, Kanpur Railway Station-Ghatampur, Ghantaghar-Moosanagar, and Kanpur City-Circular Road.

Sharma said one electric bus will operate initially on each route, with plans to scale up the service later. PTI