The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will add 100 electric buses to its fleet this month, ahead of the Diwali festival. These 12-metre-long buses are part of a larger order of 5,150 electric buses placed with Olectra Greentech Limited, according to an MSRTC official. The new buses are expected to operate on routes including Imamwada-Nagpur, Chandrapur, Nashik, Borivali, and Satara. Once the full fleet arrives, the buses are likely to be deployed for operations during the Diwali season, the official added. Previously, a wet lease contractor had supplied 130 electric “Midi” buses, each 9 metre long. With the addition of the 12-meter buses, MSRTC's passenger capacity will increase significantly. In addition, 13 buses from a previous order were recently delivered, completing the contractor's total of 100 buses, with 87 delivered earlier. These buses are currently in service on the Mumbai-Pune route. The new 12-meter buses, with 45 seats, excluding the driver's seat, are capable of covering up to 400 km on a single charge, with a charging time of just 1.45 hours. With a fleet size of approximately 16,000 buses, the MSRTC serves approximately around 53 lakh commuters daily.
