Four major cities of the state – Raipur, Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur and Korba have been approved to operate electric buses under the PM E Bus Service Scheme.
Revolution in urban transport with the introduction of electric buses in the state: Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai
Initiative to provide better transportation facilities to the citizens along with environmental protection.
Raipur, 15 March 2024
PM e-Bus Seva Yojana has been started by the Central Government to improve the public transport infrastructure in cities. Under the scheme, the number of buses has been fixed for the states based on the population of the cities, according to which 100 e-buses have been approved for Raipur, 50 for Durg Bhilai, 50 for Bilaspur and 40 for Korba. Thus, a total of 240 e-buses have been approved.
The Government of India has approved the operation of electric buses under the PM e Bus Seva Scheme to four major cities of the state of Chhattisgarh – Raipur, Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur, and Korba. This announcement is not only a proud moment for Chhattisgarh, but also a milestone for the entire country, an important step in realizing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s dream of a clean and green India.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai said on this occasion, the introduction of electric buses in our state will bring a revolution in urban transport. This initiative takes us a step forward towards environmental protection as well as providing better transportation facilities to the citizens. He congratulated the officials of the Urban Administration Department for being successful in this challenge and directed to make efforts to include more cities in this scheme in future. On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration Minister Shri Arun Sao said, due to the double engine government, we are touching new heights of innovation and stability. This scheme is a gift to our citizens, which will not only save the environment but will also make our lives easier. The arrival of e-buses will open the door to a new and clean transport service for the citizens of Chhattisgarh. The introduction of these buses will reduce environmental pollution and improve the air quality of cities, as well as save energy.
It is noteworthy that this scheme of the Government of India is part of the Centre’s effort to link the central assistance provided to the states with transparency and their performance. The intention of the Central Government is that this scheme should be developed as an alternative or supporting means of Metro in cities so that people can get the facility of affordable, reliable and easy transportation.
After competitive analysis of the cities received under the National Challenge from all the states of the country, the sixth meeting of the Central Approval and Steering Committee (CAB) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, will be held in Raipur on 01 March and the seventh meeting on 14 March in Chhattisgarh will approve the proposals of 3 cities of Chhattisgarh. has been approved.
In this first scheme of its kind, the Central Government will provide financial assistance to the cities for the purchase and operation of buses. A large part of which will also be spent for the development of infrastructure like bus depots in cities. The general conditions of the scheme also include that third party audit of the money given under the project will be mandatory, so that there is complete transparency. Cities will have to submit accounts of bus operations every three months. Under the scheme, three types of buses – standard, medium and mini – will be run. Cities are divided into four categories on the basis of population. Cities with population between twenty to forty lakh were eligible for 150 e-buses, cities with population between ten to twenty lakh and five to ten lakh were eligible for 100 each and cities with population less than five lakh were eligible for 50 e-buses, on the basis of which Raipur Approval has been received for 100 medium e-buses, Durg Bhilai has received approval for 50 medium e-buses, Bilaspur has received 35 medium and 15 mini e-buses and Korba has received approval for 20 medium and 20 mini e-buses.
According to the guidelines of the scheme, the purchasing and operating agency of the buses will be selected by the Central Government and the central assistance will be given in terms of the assured kilometers operated and if the buses run less kilometers than this then the central assistance will be reduced in the same proportion. Money will be given by the central government on the basis of the performance of the cities. The e-bus service will improve air quality and environmental protection through reduced carbon emissions in the cities of Chhattisgarh along with lower energy consumption and better fuel efficiency and a comfortable and pleasant travel experience.
