London’s electric buses to zoom across Thane town’s streets

Mumbai, Oct 11

London-based Causis Group Ltd's (CGL) electric buses will soon zoom on the roads of Kalyan-Dombivali towns in Thane district, officials said here on Tuesday.

The Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has awarded a contract to CGL to procure 107 e-buses on a wet lease for a period of 12 years.

The CGL will provide 9 metre fully electric air-conditioned and non-air conditioned buses with drivers and allied electrical and civil infrastructure and maintenance on a per/km basis, to the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Transport of the KDMC.

A KDMC official spokesperson said that the 9-metre e-bus has the lowest life cycle costs compared with others, it's a lightweight modular European design combined with low maintenance and servicing costs with high-range and long battery life.

The powerful battery eliminates the need for a complex charging infrastructure, the operators benefit from favourable power tariffs during the night-time charging, giving a unique advantage to the ecosystem.

CGL CEO Ravi Kumar Panga said that these buses will soon start plying in the KDMC and surrounding regions as part of the civic body's efforts to provide mass transport sustainable e-mobility solutions.

"With the prices of fuels touching the sky and the ill-effects on the environment, these buses will contribute hugely in controlling hazardous emissions and create a net Zero Emission environment through these e-buses, besides a comfortable and premium travel experience to the travellers," said Panga.

KDMT General Manager Dipak D. Sawant said that the CGL's e-buses would be an economical and eco-friendly alternative for the public here.

CGL Group, headed by Peter Knez, has operations in the USA, UK, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia and the Asia-Pacific, and the Group manufactures and supplies high-volume zero-emission electric vehicles and the associated infrastructure of chargers and renewable energy.

The Group acquired Eurabus GMBH, a German company with a track record of over 10 years as the only European manufacturer specialising exclusively in making these environment-friendly e-buses.

--IANS