Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 31 : Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy on Sunday inaugurated an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station at the Gajuwaka APSRTC depot in Visakhapatnam, marking a step towards expanding clean public transport in the state.
The facility is aimed at supporting the shift towards electric mobility in the state-run Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC).
Speaking to ANI, Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said Andhra Pradesh is moving quickly towards an EV-based transport system.
He said, "Andhra Pradesh is moving rapidly towards an EV policy."
He added, "I am very proud and happy to launch the EV charging point station at Gajuwaka in our Visakhapatnam district. Andhra is moving towards an EV policy, and in one and a half years, we are ready to get 3,000 buses fleet into APSRTC. This is very privileged for APSRTC. Why am I saying this? The total world is towards EV policy."
The Minister said the state government has already begun the tender process, and multiple categories of buses are being added to the fleet.
The Chief Minister has promised APSRTC to get 3,000 buses to Andhra Pradesh. The tenders have floated. We are getting 750 PM-eBus Scheme buses in July of this year, and we are getting 500 CNG buses to APSRTC. And we are allocating 300 buses for the Tirumala Tirupati fleet. And next year, we are planning to go for 1,450 EV buses in APSRTC. This total account comes to 3,000 buses. APSRTC will be strengthened in the next one and a half years", he said.
Officials said the plan includes electric, CNG and special-purpose buses, aimed at modernising the fleet and reducing fuel costs.
Telugu Desam Party state president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao, who inspected the depot, said the infrastructure development would support the new electric bus operations.
He said, "Today, the Transport Minister Ram Prasad Reddy visited the Gajuwaka depot to supervise the facilities for electric buses. So, the state government, with the Central Government initiative, is providing 100 buses to Visakhapatnam. So, electrical buses to Visakhapatnam, and these electrical buses need to have the facilities over here, like a charging station, a parking place and all that."
He further said the shift to electric buses would help reduce financial stress on the transport system.
"So, now if you see over here, the whole development work is going on to facilitate electric buses. So, tomorrow, with the oil crisis, RTC is shifting towards electric buses, and that is the plan of our honourable CM, sir. So, tomorrow, we aim to bring the RTC into the State Transport service into profit. So, these steps that we are taking now, these will definitely lead to profits for the institution," he added.