Odisha to Roll Out 600 New E-Buses in Major Sustainable Transport Push

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced plans to expand its fleet of electric buses (e-buses) with the induction of 600 new vehicles across the state. The move is aimed at reducing carbon emissions and modernising public transport.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushnachandra Mahapatra said the state will procure 200 e-buses in addition to 400 e-buses being provided by the Centre under the Prime Minister’s scheme. The deployment will take place in phases, with around 1,000 e-buses estimated as the state’s total requirement.

“We need to run more electric buses to keep the environment clean. Our government is going to procure 200 more e-buses. PM Modi also gave 400 e-buses to Odisha. This makes 600. And we already have 400 buses,” Mahapatra said.

As part of the first phase, 25 e-buses have been introduced in Sambalpur, marking the beginning of Odisha’s e-mobility journey. The service will gradually be extended to other districts to ensure wider accessibility.

Officials said detailed planning is underway to finalise routes, charging infrastructure and district-wise allocation. The minister stressed that the initiative highlight the state government’s commitment to tackling climate change while providing citizens with affordable and eco-friendly transport options.