Not to be ‘retired: Old diesel buses to ply in new electric avatar
The minister said that this initiative will help curb pollution and contribute to a cleaner environment. The Transport department is working on a comprehensive plan to add 5,000 electric buses to its fleet. Recently, 220 electric buses, including 20 air-conditioned double-decker buses, were procured and deployed for the Mahakumbh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
UP highlights road safety as a key focus at national workshop
The 25th National Workshop on Road Safety and Best Practices, held in New Delhi, brought together transport officials and industry stakeholders to address the growing concern over road accidents and promote structured interventions for safer mobility. Organised jointly by the All India Federation of Motor Vehicle Department Technical Executive Officers Association and the Transport Regional Inspectors Service Association, the two-day event included participation from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Emphasis on road safety commitment Speaking at the inaugural session, Dayashankar Singh, Transport Minister of Uttar Pradesh, said the state is advancing its road safety agenda despite limited resources. 'We are continuously introducing new initiatives, focusing on vehicle fitness and child awareness,' he said. Transport Commissioner Brijesh Narayan Singh noted that the 50% reduction target in accident fatalities set by CM Yogi Adityanath is more than an administrative benchmark. 'Road safety transcends mere statistics – it is about safeguarding the lives of every individual and living being,' Singh said. He added that the state's 'Vision 2030 Roadmap' is based on the four pillars of education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency response. Helmet safety and policy recommendations Rajeev Kapur, MD, Steelbird Helmets and President of the Two-Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association of India, highlighted the issue of counterfeit helmets and the gap between supply and demand. 'India faces a significant helmet shortage, with 50 per cent of helmets in the market being counterfeit,' he said. Kapur called for stronger enforcement of rules related to helmet compliance, including penalties for fake helmets and support for certified helmet manufacturing. 'To bridge the gap, we need a fourfold increase in helmet production, requiring an investment of ₹6,000 crore, 2 crore sq. ft. of space, and 80,000 workers.' He outlined the roadmap of Mission Save Lives 2.0 , a national campaign aimed at promoting BIS-certified helmets, which includes plans for a phased implementation: starting with Tier 1 cities in 2028, moving to Tier 2 by 2029, and reaching Tier 3 cities and rural areas by 2031. Other proposals under the initiative include mandatory BIS-certified helmets from two-wheeler manufacturers starting January 2027, real-time BIS license audits, and the establishment of in-house BIS-approved testing labs. The mission also calls for reducing GST on helmets from 18% to 12% and classifying them as essential safety equipment. According to data from 2023, India recorded around 1.72 lakh road fatalities and 4.63 lakh injuries. Two-wheeler users accounted for nearly 45% of deaths, with approximately 54,000 linked directly to the non-use of helmets. Pedestrians accounted for another 20 per cent, underlining the need for sustained focus on vulnerable road users.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Time of India
Trials on to check new tech for safer bus travel in UP
1 2 3 Lucknow: Everyday travel in UP's buses will become safer and more comfortable with technology enabling live counting of number of passengers boarding or de-boarding buses and issuing alerts in case of a yawning and sleepy driver. This system will be in place very soon. Currently, the on-board unit controller with multiple functionalities is under trial in two AC buses plying on the Lucknow-Delhi route for over one month, and the results have been up to the mark, officials said. It may take another fortnight of trial before the private firm conducting it submits its report to the UP state road transport corporation (UPSRTC). The use of the on-board unit controller will be the first for any SRTC in the country. Multiple cameras will be installed inside a bus, along with a control panel in front of the driver's seat where the feed from all the cameras will play. The automatic passenger counting (APC) camera will keep track of passengers entering and exiting the bus, as it can judge the moving direction of passengers. "One of its benefits is that it can let people know the number of vacant seats in a bus live to those waiting at stations, besides enabling analysis and statistics of passenger flow data," said sources involved with the trial. The advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) camera, on the other hand, will alert the driver on multiple safety parameters, such as front-end collision when a vehicle is detected ahead at a configured distance, safety distance monitoring, lane departure warnings and pedestrian detection. The on-board unit controller also includes a driver monitoring system (DMS), which features a 'Dog Watch', a small display unit the size of a table clock, installed in front of the driver's seat. It triggers alarms and buzzers when the driver is caught yawning, smoking, talking on the phone, distracted, inattentive, or fatigued. The 'in-bus' camera, another feature of the on-board controller, allows passengers to raise alarms during emergencies, deters theft and vandalism, and protects drivers. The bus driver console (BDC) is a control panel with many functions, such as displaying the fitness details of the bus, helping the driver navigate routes, communicating with control room staff and displaying the feed from cameras inside the bus, among others. "It may not be done at once for all buses, but introduced as a pilot on a select route," said GM (IT), UPSRTC, Yazuvendra Kumar.
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Not to be ‘retired: Old diesel buses to ply in new electric avatar
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has begun converting old diesel buses into electric vehicles. Minister of State for Transport Dayashankar Singh said that two buses have already been converted into electric vehicles at the Ram Manohar Lohia Workshop in Kanpur. These buses will undergo trial runs on the Jhansi–Lalitpur route, a government spokesperson said. The minister said that this initiative will help curb pollution and contribute to a cleaner environment. The Transport department is working on a comprehensive plan to add 5,000 electric buses to its fleet. Recently, 220 electric buses, including 20 air-conditioned double-decker buses, were procured and deployed for the Mahakumbh.
