Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Electric buses is likely to be introduced in six major cities of Madhya Pradesh including Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, and Sagar.
These buses are part of a central government initiative to launch over 6,500 e-buses in 88 cities across India. Out of these, 582 buses have been allocated to Madhya Pradesh.
According to local media reports, atleast 500 buses will be launched in the state. Over 400 will be midi e-buses (26-seaters) and over 100 will be mini e-buses (21-seaters). The bus fares will be cheaper compared to current local buses.
Central government to bear maintenance costs for 12 yrs
A private company has been given the responsibility to operate and maintain these e-buses. The central government will also bear the operational and maintenance costs for the next 12 years. Last week, Chief Secretary Anurag Jain held a meeting regarding the planning and execution of the e-bus operations.
The buses will run under the GCC (Global Capability Center) model. Under this, the selected company will purchase the buses, and also manage drivers, conductors, and maintenance. The company will be paid ₹58.14 per km for each bus.
10 depots in MP
To support the e-buses, 10 depots will be built in MP at a cost of ₹58 crore. Bhopal and Indore will each get two depots. Bhopal’s depots will be located in Bairagarh and Kasturba Nagar, costing ₹14 crore. Indore will get depots at Nayta Mundla and Chandan Nagar, with a cost of ₹6 crore.
Gwalior and Jabalpur will also have two depots each, while Ujjain and Sagar will get one depot each. The center will provide 60% of the funds, and the state government will contribute the remaining 40%. The state will spend around ₹24 crore on depot construction.
Each depot will have a charging station for the e-buses. Indore, Bhopal, and Gwalior will each have two stations, while Jabalpur, Ujjain, and Sagar will get one each.
Around ₹60 crore will be spent on building nine charging stations.
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