Centre approves 10,000 e-buses for Bengaluru, Delhi, other cities; none for Pune
Pune has not been allotted any e-buses under the PM E-Drive in a recent announcement by the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries. On Friday, Minister H D Kumaraswamy approved the rollout of electric buses under the scheme with Bengaluru being allocated 4,500 buses, Delhi getting 2,800 buses, Hyderabad getting 2,000 buses, Ahmedabad getting 1,000 buses, and Surat getting 600 buses.
Pune has been reeling under a shortage of buses for at least four years. An analysis of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) data by The Indian Express in April showed that the number of buses in the city has remained around the 2,000 figure since at least 2022. In April 2022 PMPML's fleet numbers stood at 1,959, in February 2023 at 2,083, in February 2024 at 2,009, and in February 2025 at 1,916.
A study by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) in January highlighted that Pune had only half the buses it required. According to the institute Pune requires 4,500 buses as compared to the 2,000 it has had over the past few years. Pune Metropolitan Region's Comprehensive Mobility Plan developed by Pune Metro and Assystem paints an even bleaker picture. The plan says that based on Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs guidelines of 60 buses per lakh population, PMPML required 6,228 by 2024. This means that the city is 4,000 buses short.
Responding to a question about Pune not being allotted buses, Pune MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol on Monday said, 'After the state government's proposal goes to the Ministry only then the buses can be approved. There is a system in place, the state government has to send the proposal. We have discussed this with CM Devendra Fadnavis.'
In October 2024, Muralidhar Mohol had announced that a proposal to get 1,000 buses for Pune had been submitted to Kumaraswamy. He wrote on his official X account, 'While the metro network is expanding in Pune city, we are focusing on empowering PMPML and have submitted a proposal to the Union Minister of Heavy Industries, Hon. Shri. HD Kumaraswamy Ji, to get 1,000 new e-buses for PMPML through the Modi government. Moreover, regarding this proposal, the current number of buses in Pune city, its requirement and future requirement were discussed. On this, Hon. Minister has also directed the officials to take action and process his proposal.'
Nitin Narvekar, Joint Managing Director of PMPML told The Indian Express, 'Our proposal for 1000 e-buses has already gone to the authorities. However, I was not aware of this recent allocation (to other cities) and we have not received any intimation or any timeline regarding the delivery of our buses.'
Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune.
A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
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