Gadkari Promotes Pilot Electric Buses Projects With Private Investments

Nitin Gadkari recently promoted a pilot project to run electric buses with private investment, stating that if anyone is ready to invest in India, we can give him a pilot project for a city, where they can run their buses on electricity.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently promoted a pilot project to run electric buses with private investment. While addressing a virtual seminar, the Minister said that if anyone is ready to invest in India, we can give him a pilot project for a city, where they can run their buses on electricity.

“Running their buses through electricity, they will get a good margin compared to diesel. However, the ticket rate will remain the same. It is an attractive project due to saving between diesel and electricity,” Gadkari said while addressing the 4th UITP India Bus seminar, through video conference.

He added that it was to be seen whether the same method could be used for the transportation of goods.

“The trolly buses on electric or railbus can be started in India. We have to technically find out whether we can transport goods, trucks also on the same system. The economic viability may increase,” the minister said further. The Union minister also spoke about the London model of public transport and said that he has been trying to implement it.

Pointing out that the government was also planning to make bus ports, he added, “We are also planning the making of bus ports which are economically viable. The bus port can be developed like an airport through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.”

Earlier this month, the Minister had said that he believes India is power surplus so the benefits of e-mobility solutions are very much in the interest of the country. Speaking at the India e-mobility Conclave 2020 (IMC 2020) organised by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), the Minister had said that there is a strong need to develop import-substituting, cost-effective, indigenous, and pollution-free sustainable transportation systems in the country and one of the most important solution is public transport on electricity.

He had also said that the “Government approach is to give support to all new technologies but Make In India is equally important. Our priority is, particularly for Li-ion batteries. We have already given two mines of Li-ion to private people and expecting outcomes soon. For diesel buses, the cost of fuel is Rs 150/km but for e- buses it comes to Rs 50/km, so the capital cost is high, but fuel cost is low. For manufacturers, ‘Make in India’ and ‘Made in India’ is equally important, if you are importing materials from China and other countries and assembling that is not of use. We need to find an indigenous solution and that is very important.”