If everything goes well, 1,000 electric buses will be plying in state towards the end of this year.
The Assam State Transport Corporation(ASTC) is in talks with the Indian distributor of Hungary based Csepel Holding for operating electric buses in Opex (operational expenditure) model in the State.
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ASTC managing mirector Anand Prakash Tiwari said discussion in this regard is in final stages and an agreement is likely to be signed very soon.
“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,” The Assam Tribune quoted Tiwari as saying.
He said there will be no capital expenditure involved as the company will provide the buses and we will operate them.
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“In return, an amount will be paid to them monthly,” Tiwari told .
He said the ASTC planned to operate around 1,000 such buses initially which will be provided by Indian distributer of the Hungarian firm in three different categories phase-wise.
Tiwari said, Csepel will also set up the charging stations for the buses and carry out the maintenance.
He 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.
50 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.