PMPML to add 150 new e-buses in its fleet

Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited is all set to add 150 new buses in its fleet, under a contract with a Hyderabad based company, Olectra Greentech Limited Evey Trans Private Limited at Rs 63.95 per kilometer of the gross operation.

These e-buses are 12 m long, air conditioned and have seating of 33 including wheelchair and driver seats. These buses also have electronically controlled air suspension and equipped with CCTV cameras to ensure safety of the commuters. The cost of providing the electricity for changing the buses will be borne by PMPML itself. PMPML shall incur an average cost of Rs 7 per kilometer. 
In a press conference held on December 30, 2020, it was announced by the PMPML’s board of directors.

The meeting was held in presence of Member of Parliament Girish Bapat, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol, PMPML CMD Dr Rajendra Jagtap and Director Shankar Pawar. PMPML shall procure 150 e buses on a gross cost contract basis using funds provided by the Central government under its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles scheme (FAME-II) scheme. Under this scheme, the government is offering a one time subsidy of Rs 55 lakh per bus. These buses will run for 225 km per day.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Dr Rajendra Jagtap, director, PMPML said, “Out of the order placed for buses, 75 of them shall reach Pune and shall be added to the fleet by September 2021 while the rest of them shall be added by the end of December 2021. Of these, 90 e buses will run in PMC jurisdiction while 60 buses in PCMC jurisdiction.”

PMPML in the year 2018-19 had acquired 150 e buses, with these 150, the total number of e-buses shall reach to 300. PMPML plans to add more 300, making the total count to 650 e buses in the near future.

MP Girish Bapat informed that the Union government is taking positive steps in strengthening the public transport system and this is one step in the initiative towards making pollution free transport. Under this scheme, we have been given financial provision of Rs55 lakhs per bus which costs about Rs 1.5 crores. Our deadline to complete the work was in April 2020, but due to the lockdown we couldn’t achieve the completion target. But we are thankful to the government that we have been granted the extension.