India, US join hands to launch 10,000 electric buses on Indian streets: PTI

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Wednesday said electric buses can change the world and give a future where the planet will be will be liveable.

The ambassador travelled in an Indian electric bus to attend a session on "accelerating deployment of electric buses in India".

"It was very exciting for me to be on an Indian electric bus. We know that electric buses can change the world. They are quieter, cleaner, they help us reduce our carbon (footprint) and give us a future where our planet will be livable.

"It is one of the reasons the United States government is working with our friends in the Government of India to get more electric buses on the streets of Indian cities, he said. 

The United States and India launched a mechanism that will facilitate the deployment of 10,000 made in India electric buses in cities across the country, bringing into reality a joint vision first announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the White House. 

"Every day we see the impact of the climate crisis at a global level. We must respond now or jeopardise the future of our planet and our people. The partnership announced today will mobilise financing for a fleet of 10,000 electric buses throughout India, expanding options for electric public transportation in India, creating cleaner cities and healthier communities, the ambassador said. 

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said the ambassador took a ride in a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) electric bus. 

As per a joint statement issued earlier this month, India and the United States will provide joint support for a payment security mechanism for expanding electric mobility in India, giving a boost to the PM e- Bus Sewa scheme that aims to procure 10,000 electric buses for cities that lack adequate public transport. 

The statement on the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden said the two leaders spoke on the importance of "decarbonising the transport sector." Modi and Biden met at the prime minister's residence before the start of the G20 Leaders' Summit. 

India had launched the NEBP in June last year with an aim to deploy 50,000 new electric buses across the country in a phased manner. 

"Through this new partnership, the US government including the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the office of the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Climate will partner with public and private sector entities to accelerate electric bus financing," a statement by the US Embassy in New Delhi said.