Emphasizing the need to provide every citizen with better, comfortable and environmentally friendly transportation, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off 45 electric buses and 3 hydrogen buses of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation on Friday.

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These buses will operate up to Jewar Airport in the Noida, Greater Noida and YEIDA regions, through video conferencing from Lucknow. On this occasion, he also inaugurated the Noida Electric Bus Depot.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the country the vision of green mobility and sustainable development. In line with this vision, the Uttar Pradesh Government will connect every city and village with petrol and diesel-free green mobility electric services in the coming years.”

He said, “ To translate the Prime Minister’s vision into reality, operations at India’s largest airport, Noida International Airport, are scheduled to begin on June 15.”

He added, keeping in view the convenience of passengers and citizens in the country’s largest IT and electronics hub and the need for seamless air connectivity, the three authorities, Noida, Greater Noida and YEIDA, have launched this service through the Transport Corporation. This initiative is also a significant step towards achieving the net-zero target.

The Chief Minister said, “Noida, Greater Noida and the Yamuna Authority region have emerged as major centres for IT, electronics, data centres, start-ups, semiconductors and other industrial activities. Along with attracting global companies to these regions, environmentally friendly transportation has become a necessity. While metro services are already operational in certain areas, the operation of electric buses will prove to be a milestone in ensuring last-mile connectivity. By June 15, all three authorities will commence operations of 110 electric buses. Based on demand, the number will be increased progressively to 500 buses through the three authorities.”

He added, the state now possesses a road network of 4 lakh km, including highways and expressways. Inter-state connectivity is among the best in the country. A state once known for dilapidated roads has now established itself as the Expressway State.

The Chief Minister said, “During the Prayagraj Kumbh in 2019, the government announced the Ganga Expressway in a Cabinet meeting. Travellers journeying on the country’s largest Ganga Expressway between Meerut and Prayagraj are often amazed that this is the same Uttar Pradesh where roads and potholes were once indistinguishable. The Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway, Delhi-Meerut 12-lane Expressway and the soon-to-be inaugurated Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway have become symbols of the new Uttar Pradesh.”

On air connectivity

Referring to the state’s improved air connectivity, the Chief Minister said that Prayagraj Airport was completed within 11 months. The country’s largest airport has been built at Jewar.

He remarked, Bhagwan Shri Ram had arrived in Ayodhya on the Pushpak Viman during the Treta Yuga, but thereafter the people of Ayodhya never had access to air services. Ayodhya remained neglected for thousands of years and continued to face neglect even after Independence. Today, an airport dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki is operational there. Uttar Pradesh now has 5 international airports, including Lucknow, Ayodhya, Kashi, Kushinagar and Noida. Noida Airport is poised to establish itself not only as a passenger hub but also as a cargo and MRO hub.

The Chief Minister said, “Metro services are operating in 7 cities of Uttar Pradesh, out of the 20 cities across the country where metro systems are functional. More than 700 electric buses are currently operating across 17 municipal corporations. The government is now extending this facility to Noida as well. Earlier, electric buses had to be procured from outside the state. However, Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland of the Hinduja Group have now established two electric bus manufacturing plants each in Lucknow, enabling local production.”

He stated, “Three hydrogen buses are also being introduced in the Yamuna Authority area from today. These buses have been provided to YEIDA by NTPC. Hydrogen for these buses will be produced not from groundwater or surface water, but from treated sewer water. Green hydrogen mobility has emerged as an innovative concept. These buses will also operate near Jewar Airport. They will play a major role in reducing air pollution and protecting children, senior citizens and patients from a toxic environment.”

Chief Minister further informed, “To achieve the net-zero target, the State Government has launched the Uttar Pradesh Clean Air Management Project (UP CAMP) with World Bank assistance of ₹2,741 crore. Nine years ago, urban areas primarily used halogen streetlights, which consumed large amounts of energy and attracted insects, resulting in foul odours. In 2017, the government installed more than 15 lakh LED streetlights. This led to energy savings and a reduction in carbon emissions.”

He also emphasized giving priority to unemployed youth in the operation of transport services in rural areas.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh, Minister of State Jaswant Singh Saini and others were present at the event.