For promoting e-vehicles in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has invited private players to invest in its e-mobility push. The government has proposed to introduce 50,000 electric buses across 75 districts over the next five years. The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has invited bids for the supply, operation, and maintenance of 5,000 e-buses on a gross cost contract basis. The bids may be submitted by March 28. Considering the cost of a standard transport e-bus upwards of Rs 1 crore apiece, the UP e-mobility roadmap opens up a market of over Rs 50,000 crore. In the first phase, 5,000 e-buses will be deployed during the next financial year (2024-25) itself. Apart from the supply, operation and maintenance of e-buses, the bidders will also take care of the allied electrical and civil infrastructure, a senior government official said. The bidders will be permitted to operate on the existing inter-district routes on a revenue-sharing model. The deployment of e-buses will phase out 12,000 carbon-emitting diesel buses from the state public mobility fleet. The Transport department is also looking to buy 100 e-buses, which will be deployed on select routes, such as Ghaziabad, Agra, and Ayodhya districts. The UPSRTC had earlier proposed to procure 3,000 buses but later decided to go in for 5,000 e-buses in 2024-25 on a contractual basis.

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