BEST takes the lead, others in Mumbai Metropolitan Region warm up to e-buses

BEST has been running electric buses on short routes

Following the leads taken by the BEST in introducing electric buses for mass transit, more civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are now warming up to the environment friendly vehicles.

The e-buses, plying on short routes, are working well in Mumbai. While Thane has got just one such bus in the past three years, prompting its mayor to recommend scrapping of a contract over delays, officials said the city will get more e-buses soon.

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation operates 30 electric buses and it plans to set up 36 charging stations. In the recently tabled budget, the NMMC vowed to phase out all diesel buses and maintain a fleet of only electric and CNG-run buses. The Mira-Bhayander Corporation is scouting places to set up charging points for electric buses as part of its efforts to reduce air pollution.

The Centre provides support under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme. FAME India is part of the National Electricity Mobility Mission Plan to provide a push for early adoption and market creation for both hybrid and electric vehicles. Union Minister Prakash Javdekar had announced provision of 670 new electric buses for four states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, and Chandigarh last year under the central scheme of which 240 were for Maharashtra.