30 New E-Buses Remain Idle As Charging Infra Not Ready
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Nagpur: Even as Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has inducted 30 new air-conditioned electric buses into its Aapli Bus fleet on June 22 with much fanfare in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the vehicles remain idle due to absence of charging infrastructure.
These buses are part of the long-pending 250 e-bus project sanctioned by Fadnavis in 2023. Though delivered by Hansa Vahan India Pvt Ltd, which is implementing the project in partnership with Pune-based EKA Mobility, the firm's permanent charging depot at Wathoda is still under construction and will take another four to six months to become operational.
To avoid further delay in deploying the new buses, the firm has approached existing Aapli Bus operators — EV Trans and PMI Electro Mobility — for temporary access to at least three charging points each at either their Wadi or Lakadganj depots.
NMC has also temporarily allotted space at Matrushakti E-Depot in Lakadganj for setting up provisional charging stations.
The arrival of these 30 e-buses increases Nagpur's electric bus fleet from 230 to 260, and the overall Aapli Bus fleet to 539, including 150 midi buses, 45 mini buses, and 237 standard diesel buses procured under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. Many of the diesel buses have already crossed their 15-year lifespan.
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In the first phase, NMC scrapped 123 such buses and plans to phase out more as new electric buses arrive.
The goal is to gradually replace the ageing fleet with zero-emission alternatives.
The Rs550 crore electric bus project faced multiple delays on account of several factors, including the enforcement of model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. The project gained traction only in 2024 after NMC awarded the contract to Hansa Vahan. In addition, NMC expects the first batch of 150 e-buses under Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa scheme to arrive next month and has sent a proposal for another 240 e-buses.
"We aim to fully electrify the city's public transport fleet by 2029," a senior official said.
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