Shillong (Meghalaya), June 9: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma flagged off five electric buses under the PM eBus Sewa Scheme on Tuesday, launching the city’s first phase of zero-emission public transport.
The AC buses run 180 to 200 km on a single charge, seat 25 passengers and come with wheelchair access, foldable ramps and e-ticketing. Sangma said the rollout ties into a wider plan to ease Shillong’s congestion through better transit, new parking hubs and the upcoming administrative city at Mawdiangdiang.
Urban Affairs Secretary Vijay Kumar D said Shillong is sanctioned 50 e-buses in total and is moving to a Gross Cost Contract model that pays operators for reliability, not fare collection. Fifteen diesel buses under the same system are already carrying nearly 3,000 riders a day, up from 300 at launch. Officials expect a combined fleet of 150 diesel and electric buses to serve 60,000 commuters daily within six months.
The state will also renew its waiver on registration fees and road tax for electric vehicles, and senior ministers will be pushed to switch to EVs, Sangma said.
