170 out of ordered 350 e-buses yet to be delivered by supplier, PMPML plans to buy CNG buses

Sanjay Kolte said the company currently has 23 per cent of its fleet electrified and is on the track to reach the target set by the policy.

“In the last contract, we were supposed to receive 350 e-buses, but we have received only 173, and 177 buses are yet to be received. An additional 100 e-buses have been approved by the board, and after obtaining consent from both the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), we will receive them shortly,” said Kolte.

“We are already on the track to achieve our goal this year,” he added.

Regarding the operating cost comparison between CNG and e-buses, Kolte said that while CNG is also a green fuel, its cost is more favourable than that of electric buses. He added that the expenditure to operate the CNG bus is marginally less expensive than the electric buses.

Delay in procurement:

A PMPML official stated that due to delays in the procurement process, PMPML is facing a shortage of buses. He stated, “We have no other option but to meet the people’s requirement for buses in the upcoming months. It is not our fault if the company is delaying in procurement.”

In a recent interview with The Indian Express, Kolte mentioned that nearly 266 CNG buses will be phased out in the next two to three months, after which there will be a need for buses on the road.

PMPML plans to introduce 500 new CNG buses by June this year. Following a meeting on January 18, it was decided that out of the upcoming 500 buses, 400 will be contract-based, and 100 will be owned by PMPML.