NITI Aayog's draft concession agreement gives e-buses a sense of direction

In the absence of clear regulations, operators were going headfirst into the world of green vehicles

Much before winter pollution starts to choke Delhi’s public discourse, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in July announced that the state will induct 1,000 electric buses into its fleet. Two months earlier, in May, adjoining Gurugram announced a similar plan to add 200 e-buses to decongest the city’s winter air.
 
In Hyderabad, meanwhile, Goldstone BYD, now called Olectra-BYD, entered the city with 30 e-buses as part of a consortium. Environment-friendly electric buses in public transport was envisioned much before the push for electric mobility in private vehicles picked up steam. But operators of e-buses are jumping in headfirst as there