TGSRTC’s diesel-to-electric bus conversion project may take more time

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation’s (TGSRTC) ambitious plan to convert its ageing diesel buses into a fleet of electric vehicles through retrofitting may take some time to materialize and take a final shape.

The process is reportedly getting delayed due to pending submission and approval of a new prototype, a mandatory step before large-scale conversion can begin. Once the prototype is cleared, it is expected to undergo a series of stringent safety and performance tests by the



Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

The RTC officials expect the certification process and subsequent approvals to take several months, pushing the deployment of the converted buses into next year.

Under the project, the corporation plans to retrofit 200 diesel buses in phases, with a target of converting around 30 buses every month after approvals are received. The ARAI approval is mandatory before any retrofitted bus can be introduced into regular passenger service.