+
Nagpur to Roll Out 150 New E-Buses Under PM Scheme
ECONOMY & POLICY

Nagpur to Roll Out 150 New E-Buses Under PM Scheme

Nagpur is gearing up to bolster India’s electric mobility drive with the planned induction of 150 new electric buses under the PM e-Bus Seva Yojana. While the complete fleet is yet to arrive, trial units from JBM Auto have already reached the city and are undergoing test runs on key routes.
Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari recently inspected one of the buses and issued firm instructions prioritising technical reliability, safety, and punctual service rollout. Each 9-metre AC bus features fast charging, hydraulic ramps for differently-abled passengers, 25 seats, six CCTV cameras, and four LED display panels.
To support the deployment, charging depots at Khapri and Koradi are being set up, with the Koradi depot ready and Khapri still under construction. Each site will accommodate 75 buses. The project is backed by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and includes infrastructure support from MSEDCL.
However, concerns remain over operational readiness. During inspection, Chaudhari flagged serious design flaws. The current hydraulic ramp mechanism reportedly takes 5–10 minutes to operate, posing a risk of delays. Moreover, the installation of the ramp has reduced seating capacity by four, bringing it down to just 25 seats.
The Commissioner has demanded that seating be increased and the step height lowered for better accessibility, particularly for senior citizens. He rejected the manufacturer’s proposal to address these issues post-delivery, asserting that no bus would be accepted until all necessary rectifications were completed.
The prototype is being tested on multiple city routes over a three-day trial run to evaluate performance under real conditions. Nagpur’s current public transport fleet includes over 400 buses on 129 routes, serving around 1.39 lakh passengers daily. Of these, 230 are electric. To further modernise operations, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has submitted a proposal for an additional 240 air-conditioned electric buses. 

Nagpur is gearing up to bolster India’s electric mobility drive with the planned induction of 150 new electric buses under the PM e-Bus Seva Yojana. While the complete fleet is yet to arrive, trial units from JBM Auto have already reached the city and are undergoing test runs on key routes.Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari recently inspected one of the buses and issued firm instructions prioritising technical reliability, safety, and punctual service rollout. Each 9-metre AC bus features fast charging, hydraulic ramps for differently-abled passengers, 25 seats, six CCTV cameras, and four LED display panels.To support the deployment, charging depots at Khapri and Koradi are being set up, with the Koradi depot ready and Khapri still under construction. Each site will accommodate 75 buses. The project is backed by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and includes infrastructure support from MSEDCL.However, concerns remain over operational readiness. During inspection, Chaudhari flagged serious design flaws. The current hydraulic ramp mechanism reportedly takes 5–10 minutes to operate, posing a risk of delays. Moreover, the installation of the ramp has reduced seating capacity by four, bringing it down to just 25 seats.The Commissioner has demanded that seating be increased and the step height lowered for better accessibility, particularly for senior citizens. He rejected the manufacturer’s proposal to address these issues post-delivery, asserting that no bus would be accepted until all necessary rectifications were completed.The prototype is being tested on multiple city routes over a three-day trial run to evaluate performance under real conditions. Nagpur’s current public transport fleet includes over 400 buses on 129 routes, serving around 1.39 lakh passengers daily. Of these, 230 are electric. To further modernise operations, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has submitted a proposal for an additional 240 air-conditioned electric buses. 

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Aequs Infra to Invest Rs 20 Billion in South India Expansion

Aequs Infra, a major developer of large-format industrial clusters, has unveiled plans to develop 12 million sq. ft. of warehousing and manufacturing infrastructure across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities in South India, with an estimated investment of over Rs 20 billion.The project, with an average construction cost of Rs 2,000 per sq. ft., will include 50–100 acre parks primarily focused on manufacturing-led growth. Of the total, around 3–4 million sq. ft. will be developed in Tier-2 cities through built-to-suit models, with the remainder targeting Tier-1 hubs, said Shyam Kalyanasundaram, the ne..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Western Railway Mumbai Logs Rs 1 Billion in Digital Payments

In a significant boost to the Digital India initiative, the Mumbai Division of Western Railway has recorded over Rs 1 billion in digital payments across 97 stations over the past year, highlighting its leading role in modernising Indian Railways’ ticketing systems.Transitioning from cash-based transactions, the division’s swift digital adoption is credited to the rollout of QR code-based payments and the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS). These platforms enabled seamless, contactless ticketing and played a key role in the shift, according to Chief Commercial Manager Ganesh Jadhav.To promot..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Reliance Power Plans Rs 90 Billion Fundraising Drive

Reliance Power, led by Anil Ambani, has announced a major Rs 90 billion capital-raising initiative as part of a broader financial restructuring plan, following a strong rebound in its earnings. The board has approved raising Rs 60 billion through equity shares and another Rs 30 billion via non-convertible debentures (NCDs).The equity capital will be mobilised through either a Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP), a follow-on public offering (FPO), or a mix of both, pending shareholder approval. The NCDs, whether secured or unsecured, will be issued in one or more tranches through private pla..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?