Green Fleet Expansion! APSRTC Invites Bids To Procure 500 Eco-Friendly CNG Buses Across Key Depots In Andhra Pradesh

In a major move toward eco-friendly public transportation, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has officially floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure 500 brand-new CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) buses. These fully built, environment-friendly vehicles will strictly adhere to modern BS-VI (OBD-II norms) emission standards, Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), and Andhra Pradesh Motor Vehicles (APMV) safety regulations. Bidders are required to submit their tender proposals before the official deadline closing on August 3, 2026. This green initiative aims to significantly curb air pollution, cut rising diesel expenses, and provide clean, reliable, and comfortable travel for daily commuters across urban and inter-district routes.

Under the official distribution roadmap, 350 CNG buses will be deployed across six key regional depots: Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Gudur, Chittoor-2, Madanapalle-1, and Hindupuram. These buses will serve essential inter-city and suburban transit corridors across the Godavari, Nellore, and Rayalaseema belts, boosting regional connectivity between key industrial and agrarian hubs. Meanwhile, the remaining 150 CNG buses are reserved specifically to enhance high-demand city bus services. Stated to operate out of the Simhachalam depot in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and the Governorpet-1 depot in Vijayawada, these urban buses will help ease daily municipal traffic congestion while reducing core city carbon emissions.

While APSRTC continues working toward a larger long-term goal of electrifying its overall public transport fleet, deploying 500 CNG buses right now provides an immediate, practical operational solution. Electric buses require substantially higher initial capital investment, extensive depot grid upgrades, high-tension power supply setups, and continuous charging time. By opting for CNG buses as a reliable "bridge technology," the transport corporation can immediately phase out older diesel vehicles on both urban and long-distance routes, delivering cost-effective operational performance without waiting for complete charging infrastructure setup.