Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The city’s public transport system is currently managed by the Smart City administration. In a city with a population of approximately 18–20 lakh, only 85 smart buses are operational, and several routes remain without any service. Despite high demand from commuters, the Smart City Mission authority had decided two years ago to introduce 35 advanced electric buses (e-buses). However, for the past six months, announcements about their arrival have been repeatedly made, but no buses are ready yet. The Smart City administration now says the buses are expected to arrive in April.
In 2018, the Smart City spent ₹35 crore to purchase 100 diesel buses from Tata. Over the past eight years, the engines of many buses have broken down. Currently, more than 15 buses are standing idle at the Jadhavwadi depot. Of the 85 operational buses, daily ridership ranges from 15,000 to 18,000 passengers, with high demand on certain routes. The buses provide affordable travel across the city.
To address the shortage, the Smart City had decided two years ago to start an e-bus service. Under the Government of India’s e-vehicle promotion scheme, the city was sanctioned 100 e-buses. The Smart City decided to operate 35 e-buses on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis. So far, only one bus has been supplied by the private company. A separate bus depot has been built in Jadhavwadi, along with a charging station for the e-buses.
Buses expected in April
The depot in Jadhavwadi has been designed to charge 35 buses, with civil works for the shed completed. At a time, 14 buses can be charged simultaneously. However, the private company has delayed the supply of buses due to a shortage of materials. The company has now promised to deliver the buses in April, said Sanjay Supekar, chief operations manager (Bus Division).