From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sept 13: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya expressed gratitude to the central government for sanctioning a large number of electric buses in the FAME scheme as he took a bus from Silk Board to Marathahalli on Tuesday.

Introduction of more e-buses will encourage the youth, especially the IT office-goers to in usage of public transport instead of relying on personal vehicles, which will just add to traffic congestion, he said.

Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles (FAME) in India, 921 Tata and 300 Switch Mobility e-buses have been sanctioned for Bengaluru, out of which 80 Switch Mobility buses are already operational. Further, in the Bengaluru Smart City scheme, 90 e-buses procured from JBM auto are also operational in the city.

The BJP MP inspected the functioning of the city’s e-buses in his constituency along with BMTC officials on Tuesday.

“Adoption of public transport will be more when commuters are assured of a seat and predictable travel time,” Surya said, adding: “The BMTC’s fleet size, which was just 6,500 buses for a population of over 1.2 crore, is being increased with the fast procurement of electric buses.’’

“Through the FAME scheme, the Sri Narendra Modi Ji Government is encouraging procurement and adoption of electric buses. In less than 12 months, over 170 e-buses are already operational. While 90 e-buses were procured from JBM auto with 180km/day capability in the Smart Cities Scheme, 921 Tata & 300 Switch Mobility e-buses have been sanctioned in the FAME-2 scheme. This will not only increase the fleet size, but also widen the user base of the BMTC,” he added.

Under the FAME-2 scheme, the Central Government provided a subsidy of Rs 39 lakh per bus for the 921 Tata buses, amounting to a total of Rs 360 rore, while the rest of the cost of Rs 1,250 crore is borne by the BMTC.

For the 300 buses from Switch Mobility, the Central Government’s subsidy under FAME-2 scheme is around Rs 35 to 55 lakh per bus, amounting to a total of Rs 130 crore, with the BMTC bearing the remaining cost of Rs 390 crore.

The buses from JBM Auto will run 180 km per day after charging, while the buses from Switch Mobility will run a minimum of 225 km per day. The large number of buses from Tata is expected to give an assured run of 70,000 km annually.

During his bus ride, Surya interacted with daily commuters and heard their feedback on improving the city’s bus network and last-mile connectivity.

“By providing technologically advanced features of Real Time Passenger Information System (PIS) and Panic Buttons for emergencies, the Government is ensuring 'Ease of Travel' through green solutions,” he added.