The Union Cabinet has given the green light to the ‘PM-eBus Sewa’ initiative to improve public transport in cities and is also in line with India’s objectives concerning climate change. This programme involves deployment of 10,000 electric buses (e-buses) across India, with a budget of Rs.576.13 billion. Targeting 169 cities with a population of 0.3 million and above according to the 2011 census, along with union territory capitals, the north-eastern region and hilly states, the PM-eBus Sewa programme aims to provide e-bus services to locations currently lacking such infrastructure. This expansion into underserved areas intends to bridge the urban-rural mobility gap, improve connectivity and enhance accessibility for all residents. It is anticipated to generate between 45,000 to 55,000 direct jobs in city bus operations. Out of the Rs.576.13 billion, Rs.200 billion will be provided by the Centre. Under this scheme, city bus operations will be done on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. This scheme will support bus operations for 10 years and the scheme is expected to generate around 45,000-55,000 direct jobs. The government will help develop associated infrastructure to provide support for development and upgradation of depot infrastructure. It will also help cities create behind-the-meter power infrastructure for charging e-buses. Under the Green Urban Mobility Initiatives, bus rapid transport projects would be developed along with non-motorised infrastructure like bike sharing and bicycle lanes. Innovative projects like national common mobility card, intelligent transit management system, multi-modal interchange facilities would also be developed.Other features are: - Creation of bus priority lanes to reduce congestion and enhance transportation efficiency. - Seamless connectivity among different modes of transit to minimise private vehicle dependency. The initiative anticipates reduced noise and air pollution as well as decreased carbon emissions. Further, cost reduction is projected through an efficient EV supply chain and aggregated procurement, boosting e-bus adoption. The ongoing FAME II programme, valid until 2024,In a related development, the top nine cities in India, each with a population of over 4 million, will need 18,000 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by 2030, the government said. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister, heavy industries, said that according to a state-wise breakup, Maharashtra had the highest number of EV charging stations followed by Delhi and then Karnataka. Maharashtra had a reported total of 2,492 public charging stations, 3,793 EV chargers and 4,211 charging points. Delhi accounted for 1,627 public charging stations, 2,917 EV chargers and 3,247 charging points. The third highest, Karnataka, had 753 public charging stations, 1,419 EV chargers and 1,680 charging points. He also said that 22,000 charging stations were being deployed by the petroleum ministry, which were to be installed by 2024.