<p>A year after the Centre sanctioned 400 electric buses for BMTC, KSRTC and NWKRTC, the transport corporations are struggling to procure the vehicles as the government’s restrictions on companies from neighbouring countries is proving to be a major hurdle.</p>.<p>Tenders were invited in September 2019 to procure the buses. However, the BMTC had to cancel the same for the reason that the lone bidder who qualified in the technical round had quoted exorbitant rates - to run buses at a cost of about Rs 68<br />per km. </p>.<p>“BMTC and KSRTC run air-conditioned diesel buses at about Rs 54 per km, which also covers employee and maintenance cost. Paying Rs 68 per km to electric bus after providing all the facilities and spending another Rs 7 on employee was against the interest of the exchequer,” sources in government<br />said.</p>.<p>Covid-19 pandemic and finally the restrictions imposed by the Centre delayed the processing of three fresh tenders floated in March - one to procure 300 buses for BMTC, two tenders seeking 50 buses each for KSRTC and NWKRTC.</p>.<p>“Before we can open the financial bid, the Karnataka government notified the restrictions issued by the Centre. As per the instructions, we have taken declarations from the two companies about their products,” an official from one of the corporations told DH.</p>.<p>The source said Hyderabad-based EV Trans Limited and the National Thermal Power Corporation had qualified in the technical bid. “The buses they are offering consist parts from China. They have written to the government seeking clarification on the way forward,” the<br />source said.</p>.<p>A senior official said Indian companies were struggling to offer efficient batteries. “When it comes to batteries, China seems to have mastered the technology. They say they are ready to provide batteries that can run up to 300 km on a single charge. None of the Indian companies which participated in the bid came close to that mark,” the official said.</p>
<p>A year after the Centre sanctioned 400 electric buses for BMTC, KSRTC and NWKRTC, the transport corporations are struggling to procure the vehicles as the government’s restrictions on companies from neighbouring countries is proving to be a major hurdle.</p>.<p>Tenders were invited in September 2019 to procure the buses. However, the BMTC had to cancel the same for the reason that the lone bidder who qualified in the technical round had quoted exorbitant rates - to run buses at a cost of about Rs 68<br />per km. </p>.<p>“BMTC and KSRTC run air-conditioned diesel buses at about Rs 54 per km, which also covers employee and maintenance cost. Paying Rs 68 per km to electric bus after providing all the facilities and spending another Rs 7 on employee was against the interest of the exchequer,” sources in government<br />said.</p>.<p>Covid-19 pandemic and finally the restrictions imposed by the Centre delayed the processing of three fresh tenders floated in March - one to procure 300 buses for BMTC, two tenders seeking 50 buses each for KSRTC and NWKRTC.</p>.<p>“Before we can open the financial bid, the Karnataka government notified the restrictions issued by the Centre. As per the instructions, we have taken declarations from the two companies about their products,” an official from one of the corporations told DH.</p>.<p>The source said Hyderabad-based EV Trans Limited and the National Thermal Power Corporation had qualified in the technical bid. “The buses they are offering consist parts from China. They have written to the government seeking clarification on the way forward,” the<br />source said.</p>.<p>A senior official said Indian companies were struggling to offer efficient batteries. “When it comes to batteries, China seems to have mastered the technology. They say they are ready to provide batteries that can run up to 300 km on a single charge. None of the Indian companies which participated in the bid came close to that mark,” the official said.</p>
