Lucknow, June 15 (KNN) The Uttar Pradesh government has announced plans to strengthen the fleet of electric buses in five major cities in the state. The move is part of a broader effort to promote electric vehicles and reduce air pollution.

Presiding over a conclave on improving electric mobility in Uttar Pradesh, chief secretary DS Mishra on Wednesday announced that the government will add 1,750 electric buses to the existing fleet of 750 buses in Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Lucknow.

Principal secretary, industries, Narendra Bhooshan highlighted the benefits, incentives and subsidies being offered by the Yogi Adityanath government for creation of a strong electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem.

“Under the EV manufacturing policy, projects worth over Rs 3 lakh crore are being realized in UP at present. Many more units will come up in future,” he said.

The procurement of electric buses from local manufacturers will create new business opportunities for SMEs. In addition, the government's incentives for electric vehicle manufacturers will help to reduce the cost of doing business for these SMEs.

The participants at the event emphasized on the need for a comprehensive electric mobility plan and appealed to the urban development department to take things forward in 17 cities which are governed by municipal corporations.

“Motor vehicles, particularly those which run on diesel, increase air pollution. While additional electric buses will improve air quality in these five cities, a ropeway facility will be introduced in Varanasi within a few days which will improve mobility and accessibility in congested localities,” the chief secretary said. (KNN Bureau)