Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has set an aggressive clean-mobility roadmap for the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), mandating that all new buses, including rural Palle Velugu services, must be air-conditioned electric vehicles, and directing a complete phase out of diesel buses by 2030.

Reviewing APSRTC’s fleet modernisation plan at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the Chief Minister approved a proposal to replace 8,819 diesel buses with electric buses over the next five years. He further instructed that the 1,450 buses slated for induction in the next financial year should be exclusively electric, reinforcing the government’s commitment to green public transport.

Officials were also directed to convert buses with a remaining operational life of more than eight years into electric vehicles wherever technically feasible, maximising asset utilisation while reducing emissions. The transition, the Chief Minister said, must be aligned with passenger comfort, service reliability and rising demand, particularly following the implementation of the Stree Shakti scheme that offers free bus travel to women.

Positioning electric mobility as both an environmental and financial imperative, Naidu said the shift away from diesel would significantly cut pollution and lower long-term operating costs for APSRTC. He suggested outsourcing maintenance of electric buses to private operators under structured contracts to improve efficiency and cost control.

With large religious events in view, the Chief Minister also instructed officials to fast-track the installation of EV charging infrastructure in the Godavari districts ahead of the upcoming Godavari Pushkarams, and to initiate tenders without delay.

Beyond passenger transport, Naidu urged APSRTC to diversify revenue streams by expanding cargo and logistics operations on the lines of Indian Railways, and by unlocking commercial potential at bus stations through retail and allied services. These measures, he said, are essential for improving the corporation’s financial sustainability.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that the Centre has allocated 750 electric buses to Andhra Pradesh under the PM-eBus Sewa scheme, with in-principle approval granted for an additional 300 e-buses on the Tirumala–Tirupati route. A pilot project converting diesel buses on the Chittoor–Vellore corridor to CNG, implemented in partnership with Think Gas, has also reported encouraging results.