The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the deployment of 1,725 air-conditioned electric buses across 18 cities in the state. Announced on Friday, the initiative will be implemented under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, with commercial operations planned for a 12-year contract period.
The fleet will comprise 9-metre and 12-metre electric buses, with allocations varying across cities based on the approved deployment plan.
Lucknow and Kanpur will receive 300 buses each, followed by Varanasi with 250 buses and Gorakhpur with 150. Agra, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Noida, including Jewar, will be allocated 100 buses each.
Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Mathura-Vrindavan will receive 50 buses each. The remaining 25 buses per city will be deployed in Aligarh, Firozabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur and Jhansi.
Private Operators to Manage Fleet Operations
Under the GCC model, private operators selected through a competitive bidding process will be responsible for procuring the buses, setting up charging infrastructure at depots, hiring drivers and managing day-to-day operations.
The state government, meanwhile, will retain control over passenger fares and user charges, allowing it to determine the pricing framework for the electric bus services.
Government Subsidy and Depot Infrastructure Support
To support the deployment, the government will provide a subsidy of ₹40 lakh for each 12-metre electric bus and ₹35 lakh for each 9-metre bus.
Municipal corporations and the Noida Authority will also provide land free of cost for constructing bus depots.
The initiative is expected to expand electric public transport across Uttar Pradesh, supporting cleaner urban mobility while establishing a framework for private-sector participation in bus procurement and operations.
