HRTC was the first state transport corporation in India to run electric buses, in 2017. The fleet grew from 25 to 110, with 297 more sanctioned and 500 in the pipeline. In Shimla, buses carry about half of daily commutes; 68 of HRTC's 198 buses there are electric.
What the work covered
- 26 routes for private e-buses along the Green Corridors, with a 50% subsidy, and suggestions for the e-bus policy: universal accessibility, real-time information and audio announcements, fair fares.
- PM e-Drive: how the ₹10,900 crore national scheme (October 2024 – March 2026) could fund buses, three-wheelers, ambulances and charging in the state.
- A pitch for Shimla's buses at the TUMI/TAP pitch training event, April 2025.
- Carbon credits: a pre-feasibility for credits from 327 electric buses, worth about ₹95 lakh a year.
- Waste vehicles for Shimla: a proposal for electric solid-waste vehicles for a city generating about 86 tonnes of waste a day, now being procured with CSR support from SJVN.
- Electric autos trialled by the Rural Development Department on hill roads, and a CSR proposal for electric buses for government universities and colleges.
