The had set an ambitious target of theAndhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation(APSRTC) converting all its fleet into electric vehicles by 2029. The RTC is going to make a head start by introducing 100electric busesbut the road is too long for it to achieve the target within the stipulated time.
The state government in itsElectric Vehicle(EV) policy document, envisaged to convert more than 11,000 buses owned by APSRTC into electric vehicles by 2029 way back in 2018 but it has taken more than three years for the RTC to make a beginning. The state government set a target to convert 100 per cent of the APSRTC fleet in the top four cities into electric by 2024 in the first phase. Achieving this target would be next to impossible with the present operating conditions of APSRTC and the support it is getting from the government, according to insiders of the corporation.
The demand for luxury buses continues to grow over the years and APSRTC is under pressure to increase buses in this segment. Without policy incentives for electric buses from central and state governments, the APSRTC is not able to acquire electric buses on its own.