In accordance with orders from both the central and state government, Himachal Pradesh has initiated the cancellation of registrations for 15-year-old government vehicles. The Transport Department has already cancelled the registration of 167 HRTC buses, rendering them unable to operate on the roads. These buses will be temporarily parked until the government’s scrap policy is formulated, after which they will be scrapped. The central government’s directive pertains to government-owned diesel vehicles that have surpassed the 15-year threshold.
As a result of this order, HRTC has taken immediate action by cancelling the registration of 167 buses in the first phase. To address the shortage of buses due to the cancellation of RCs, the HRTC has procured 125 new diesel buses and has also initiated the process of acquiring 75 small electric buses through tendering. These buses will be purchased in the near future and routes for their operation have already been designated. Furthermore, plans are underway to procure 225 large buses, with route identification being carried out by the management. Once the routes are finalized, tenders will be issued to purchase these buses.
HRTC officials explain that the cancellation of registration for the first phase covering 167 buses, but moving forward, registrations for buses reaching their 15-year lifespan will be automatically cancelled. The Transport Department will no longer renew their registrations, rendering these vehicles unfit for road usage. Prior to the cancellations, HRTC had a total fleet of 3,132 buses operating across 3,719 routes throughout the state. As a result of the cancellations, the fleet has now been reduced to 2,967 buses.
Moreover, registrations for old vehicles belonging to other departments such as the Public Works Department and Jal Shakti Department have also been cancelled by the Transport Department. The Transport Department officials clarify that the registrations for diesel vehicles that have reached the end of their lifespan will not be renewed, thereby necessitating their removal from the roads. It is estimated that there are approximately 6,000 to 7,000 government vehicles in the entire state.
Furthermore, the government is actively preparing to transition government offices to electric vehicles. This initiative has commenced with the Transport Department, which already possesses 19 electric vehicles for use by department officers. Additionally, other departments will also convert their vehicles into electric ones. Notably, the number of electric buses is increasing in Shimla and Dharamshala, and plans are underway to establish depots specifically for electric buses in these two cities in the near future.
