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ASTC gearing up to operate electric buses

By Rituraj Borthakur

GUWAHATI, Aug 12 - Assam State Transport Corporation is in talks with the Indian distributer of Hungary based Csepel Holding for operating electric buses in Opex (operational expenditure) model in the State. ASTC Managing Director Anand Prakash Tiwari said talks are in final stages and an agreement is likely to be signed shortly.

�Csepel with their Indian distributer will be forming a SPV (special purpose vehicle) to lease out these buses on opex model where ASTC will be the lessee. There will be no capital expenditure involved. The company will provide the buses and we will operate them. In return, an amount will be paid to them monthly,� Tiwari told The Assam Tribune.

The ASTC plans to operate around 1,000 electric buses which will be provided by Indian distributer of the Hungarian firm in three different categories phase-wise. The project is likely to be on ground by this year end.

As per the discussions so far, Csepel will also set up the charging stations for the buses and carry out the maintenance. Further charging cost also will be borne by the SPV.

Recently, Myanmar�s Ministry of Industry signed partnership agreement with Green Power Myanmar Co., Ltd., and Csepel Holding Limited of Hungary to manufacture Modulo electric buses and charging stations in Myanmar. Csepel�s production in Myanmar is planned to begin in mid-2019 and the vehicles will be exported to Sri Lanka, India and Singapore, according to the contracts.

Csepel is also planning manufacturing units in India as well.

Tiwari further said the 15 electric buses procured under FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) scheme are ready and would be launched in the city next month. The buses will ply on the Kamakhya Temple route.

Two charging stations have been set up in the city.

Under the second phase of FAME scheme, the Central government has sanctioned 100 more electric buses to Assam. Fifty are for Guwahati and 25 each for Jorhat and Silchar.

The FAME scheme aims at boosting electric mobility and 60 per cent of the bus price is contributed by the Centre while the rest is provided by the states.

The State transport department has also prepared an Electric Vehicle Policy and submitted to the various departments for their views before it is passed in the Cabinet. The policy will cover various aspects from procurement, cost of electricity, exemption and other promotional incentives. There will be incentives for private players to operate e-buses in Assam. The transport department is going to hold the second edition of EV conclave in next month where experts from various parts of the country will participate.

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