APSRTC plans to shift buses as VD Puram depot readied for electric fleet

Vijayawada: With the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) taking steps to develop the required civil infrastructure at the Vidhyadhara Puram (VD Puram) bus depot, which is set to be converted into an electric bus depot once electric buses are inducted into the city bus fleet, RTC officials in the district have chalked out plans to shift the existing scheduled bus operations to nearby depots, including Governorpeta-1 and 2, Ibrahimpatnam, Vuyyuru and Vijayawada.The APSRTC has called e-tenders for providing civil infrastructure at six bus depots, including VD Puram, Rajamahedravaram, Mangalagiri and Guntur, Nellore, Mangalam and Kadapa depots across the state.At VD Puram bus depot, the RTC called tenders for undertaking civil yard work, water supply, sanitary arrangements and electrification at a cost of Rs 10.01 crore. The RTC has set a nine-month deadline for completing the civil works at the VD Puram bus station."Among the civil yard work, the bus depot, which is currently a low-lying area, will be uplifted by around five to six feet to prevent waterlogging in the monsoon season. Further, as part of the electrical component works, HT lines will be laid for the development of charging points at the bus depot," APSRTC NTR deputy chief traffic manager Sai Charan Teja said.According to the RTC official, a total of 20 charging points will be developed at VD Puram bus depot. "Vijayawada has been allocated 100 electric buses. And all the 100 electric buses will be charged at the VD bus depot. Besides charging facilities, the operation and maintenance will be done at VD Puram bus depot," the official added.The Vidhyadharapuram bus depot currently operates a total of 88 bus schedules. A majority of these schedules are proposed to be shifted to the Governorpeta-1 and 2 bus depots. The routes operated from Vidhyadharapuram include 47V, 218, 7ST, 26, 27, 31J and 31S, along with 15 other routes.According to information available, the bus depot will be handed over to the developer in the third or fourth week of this month.