The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has started converting old diesel buses into electric vehicles. State Minister for Transport Dayashankar Singh informed here on Wednesday that two such conversions have already been completed at the Ram Manohar Lohia Workshop in Kanpur. These buses will undergo trial runs on the Jhansi-Lalitpur route.

As per the UPSRTC policy, diesel buses are retired after reaching 10 years of age or having run 11 lakh kilometers and are usually auctioned. By retrofitting these buses instead, the department will save on new purchases. Private firms like Kalyani Powertrain and Zero21 are covering retrofit costs, while the UPSRTC will handle bus body construction – significantly lowering capital expenditure.

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The minister noted that, thanks to the proactive efforts of CM Yogi, electric mobility is gaining strong momentum across the state. This initiative will help curb pollution and contribute to a cleaner environment.

The Transport Department is working on a comprehensive plan to add 5,000 electric buses to its fleet. Recently, 220 electric buses, including 20 air-conditioned double-decker buses, were procured and deployed for the Mahakumbh.