Kesarganj's first electric bus depot opened on Friday, with 60 buses, 30 fast chargers and a rooftop solar plant that officials say will cover about a fifth of the depot's daytime power needs.
The buses will begin running on four city routes and two intercity routes from the first week of next month. On the busiest corridor, between the railway station and the university, a bus will run every eight minutes at peak hours, down from about 20 minutes today.
"The old diesel fleet was tired and noisy," said depot manager Sanjay Tripathi. "These buses are quieter, cheaper to run and have low floors, so older passengers and wheelchair users can board easily."
What changes for commuters
- Fares stay the same as on the current city buses for the first year.
- Every bus has a GPS tracker; live arrival times will appear on displays at 40 stops.
- Women-only seats at the front and CCTV cameras on board.
- Monthly passes for students at half price, valid on all six routes.
Drivers and conductors have spent two months training on the new vehicles, including regenerative braking and battery-safe driving in heavy rain. Thirty of the drivers are former diesel drivers who were retrained, and 12 are women hired in the last recruitment drive.
The depot sits on land that once housed an old workshop. Residents of nearby lanes asked for the boundary wall to be set back to widen the road, and the transport department agreed to give up a three-metre strip.
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