Vasai-Virar to get 40 new electric buses before Diwali under PM e-Bus Sewa scheme

The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation's transport service has long fallen short of the demand created by growing urbanisation and heavy passenger crowding. Relief is now at hand. Under the Centre's PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, 100 buses have been sanctioned for the city. Of these, 40 modern electric buses in the first phase will join the corporation's fleet before Diwali. Commuters can expect more bus trips during the festival days and an end to the need to travel hanging from the doors.

Vasai-Virar is a large suburb adjoining Mumbai and Thane, and has a large working population. The corporation currently has 120 buses, but only 40 of them, all e-buses, are actually running on the roads. They ply on 36 different routes and carry more than 65,000 passengers a day. With buses few for the population, there is no room to even set foot in them at peak hours.

During festivals such as Ganeshotsav, the passenger service has often been disrupted by employees' agitation, buses breaking down and potholes. Against this background, the new buses had been awaited for a long time.

The Centre has appointed a company named JBM as the supplier. The buses had been held up because of the terms of the legal agreement with the company and technical reasons. They were due in April. All administrative hurdles have now been cleared, and the 40 buses of the first phase are being readied for the road.

Transport manager Dhairyasheel Jadhav said the new vehicles would allow more trips on the busiest routes. New routes could also be started in interior areas not yet served.

Modern e-bus depots are being built at Navghar (Vasai) and Nalasopara for charging, parking and technical maintenance of these buses. Funds of Rs 37.17 crore are being spent on the project, of which Rs 27.17 crore is from the government and Rs 10 crore from the corporation. Work on the depots is 90 to 95 per cent complete. Until then, the 40 buses will be run temporarily from the depot near the corporation's headquarters in Virar. The new service will make the city's public transport stronger and more environment-friendly.