HRTC to Acquire 300 Electric Vehicles, Replace 24 Aging Volvo Buses: Deputy CM

Nearly 300 electric vehicles will be purchased by the HRTC and 24 old Volvo buses will be replaced with new ones, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Friday. Agnihotri chaired a meeting of the Board of Directors (BoD) of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) here and held a detailed discussion on increasing the revenue of the corporation, a statement said.

The process of appointing 357 bus conductors is complete and they will be providing their services soon, the deputy CM said.

He added that a "decision has been taken in the meeting to increase the honorarium of the daily wagers from Rs 375 to Rs 400".

Agnihotri said that the HRTC will be purchasing 297 electric vehicles, for which tenders will be floated soon, and 24 Volvo buses will be replaced with new ones.

A total of 100 tempo travellers will also be purchased and introduced on specific routes to ensure a comfortable journey for commuters, the deputy CM said, adding that 250 diesel buses will also be purchased in the near future.

Agnihotri said that it is a matter of pride that the HRTC, which will soon complete 50 years, has been providing services to 70 lakh people in the state.

Meanwhile, the BoD thanked the Himachal Pradesh government for providing adequate grants and said the corporation was committed to provide timely salaries and pensions to its employees.

HRTC Managing Director, Rohan Chand Thakur, who conducted the meeting, assured that the corporation's functioning will be improved in the coming time, providing better services to commuters and increasing its revenue.