Cabinet clears 4,500 new electric buses for Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the induction of 4,500 new electric buses into the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), marking the first time in the history of the State’s Transport Department that such a large number of electric buses will be added at once, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The buses will be procured under the Centre’s PM E-DRIVE scheme, with the State Government expected to spend around Rs 600 crore annually on the programme. The total expenditure over 20 years is estimated at around Rs 12,000 crore, the Minister said.
The fleet will comprise 3,800 buses measuring 12 metres and 900 buses measuring 9 metres, of which around 400 buses will be air-conditioned. Bus manufacturers will produce and supply the vehicles in phases, following which they will be gradually deployed for public transport services across Bengaluru.
The introduction of the electric buses is expected to help reduce vehicular emissions and improve air quality in the city. The move is also part of the State Government’s efforts to promote cleaner and more sustainable public transport, Suresh said.
Under the arrangement, the Centre will facilitate the supply of electric buses through various bus manufacturers, while BMTC will make payments to the operators based on a fixed rate per kilometre.
Rs 2,000 Crore Loan for Transport Infrastructure
The State Government is also planning to construct new bus depots and upgrade existing bus stands across the State. For this purpose, the government has decided to seek a Rs 2,000-crore loan from the Centre, Suresh said. Meanwhile, under the State Government’s Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel to women, more than one crore women will initially be issued free smart cards. The process is expected to begin shortly, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 250 crore.
Bus Fare Revision Likely
Suresh also indicated that a revision of bus fares could be considered in view of rising operating costs.
He said the four State-run transport corporations had suffered losses running into thousands of crores due to increases in fuel-related costs over the past eight months. A committee headed by retired senior IAS officer Atul Tiwari is examining the issue of fare revision and is expected to submit its report to the government shortly. “Any fare revision will be kept minimal so that it does not impose a heavy burden on the common people, particularly in view of the drought situation,” Suresh said.
He added that Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had assured that the government would provide financial assistance to offset the additional burden arising from the fare revision.