In a huge step towards eco-friendly travelling, the first ever electric bus service of Karnataka was flagged off by KSRTC on 16th January, 2023. The zero emission bus was procured from a Hyderabad-based manufacturer. KSRTC officials greeted the passengers who travelled in the bus from Bangalore.
The electric bus started from the Majestic Bus-Stand. There was a stopover at the Satellite Bus-Stand. Fare to Mysuru from Majestic is fixed at Rs.320 and Rs.300 per passenger from the Satellite Bus-Stand. The bus can travel for around 300 kms with a single charge. This was the trial run of the electric bus service and the KSRTC has plans to introduce more such buses on routes other than Bengaluru and Mysuru in the future. There are plans to induct 50 electric buses, and deploy them on various routes, including Madikeri, Shivamogga, Davanagere and other key cities. The electric bus has been named ‘EV – Power Plus’.
Charging stations for these buses are located at suburban bus-stand and also at Bannimantap bus depot. In future, more EV charging stations will come up once the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway becomes fully ready for the traffic between the two cities.