KSRTC runs India’s first intra-city e- bus service

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The much-awaited electric bus service between Bengaluru and Mysuru started on Monday making Kanataka the first state to run intra-state electric bus service in the country. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) senior officials flagged off the electric bus to Mysuru. The bus travelled through the partially opened Bengaluru– Mysuru expressway.

The electric buses are equipped with Wi-Fi and CCTV cameras inside them. A total of 35 passengers and a child boarded the first intrastate electric bus service. The AC bus service fare is fixed as Rs 330 and the non-AC bus service fare will be Rs 240.

Twelve buses will be operated between the two cities and the frequency of the buses will be increased in a phased manner, a KSRTC statement said. The KSRTC is also reportedly planning to use e-buses to link capital Bengaluru to smaller towns in the state, such as Davangere, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Virajpet and Madikeri.

More electric bus services will be announced between the capital city and small towns in future, according to the KSRTC. As the expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru is expected to become fully operational by February, these bus services are expected to reduce the travel time Bengaluru and Mysuru by 90 minutes.

In October 2022, 100 electric buses were launched by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for the city in a bid to increase the use of public transport in the tech capital of the country