In a significant step toward strengthening the public transport sector’s transition to electric vehicles, the Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) has set an ambitious goal of fully electrifying its fleet by December 2025. As part of this transition, the Puducherry Transport Department has already placed an order for 25 electric buses using the ₹23 crore seed money sanctioned under the Smart City scheme. The first prototype is expected to arrive by the end of this month, with more buses joining the fleet in the following months.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has also been submitted to the central government, outlining plans for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to ensure the sustainable operation of electric buses in urban centres across India.

Breakdown of the E-Bus Initiative

The Puducherry Transport Department has projected a requirement for 75 buses—50 of which will be 12 meters long, while the remaining 25 will be 9 meters in length. The project includes three major components:

Subsidised operational costs on a per-kilometre basis.

Infrastructure development for bus depots.

Behind-the-Meter infrastructure to support charging stations.

Selection of Operators and Approval Process.

Transport Commissioner A.S. Sivakumar stated that the department is currently evaluating the rates, service quality, and experience of the selected operator. Following a thorough review, the proposal will be submitted to the Puducherry Government for approval. Once cleared, a Letter of Agreement (LoA) will be issued to finalise the contract.

Operational Scope of the E-Buses

The electric buses will primarily serve urban and intra-state routes within Puducherry and will not be deployed for inter-state operations. The Transport Department aims to replace the entire fleet of diesel buses with electric alternatives within Puducherry by December. The transition will later extend to other outlying regions as well.