This state promises to convert its public bus fleet with electric buses by 2025

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday asked transport department officials to hold meetings with manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) to discuss modalities for replacing the existing fleet of buses with e-buses.

Presiding over a review meeting here, he reiterated his resolve to phase out the entire fleet of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses. By 2025, the corporation’s entire bus fleet will be electric, an official statement said.

"I congratulate the transport department for replacing their fleet of existing official vehicles with electric ones," the chief minister said.

The government also plans to start e-taxis, he said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the British High Commission led by Head of Climate Change Policy Arina Cosac met Sukhu here.

The chief minister said Himachal Pradesh is moving forward to become a Green Energy State by 2025 and e-mobility will play a vital role to achieve the target. He said inputs of a survey conducted in Shimla under the India-UK PACT will help to develop it as a smart city, the statement said.

India-UK PACT provides funding for Research Triangle Institute (RTI) to identify policy and institutional gaps around transitioning public transport to electric vehicles, both at state and city levels, it said.

Cosac said the baseline survey was conducted in Shimla city on e-mobility, multilevel transportation and ropeways, the statement said.