Bengaluru to get 4,500 more electric buses under PM e-Drive Scheme
BENGALURU: Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will get 4,500 more electric buses under the PMs e-Drive Scheme with Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) finalising bids last month, according to Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma. The minister was responding to a question by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya in the Lok Sabha. Surya had sought details on the number of buses sanctioned, funds allocated, operational status, and the reasons for the delay. In his reply, the minister said under the scheme, 4,500 e-buses have been allotted to BMTC. These buses are among the 10,900 e-buses for which bids were finalised by CESL on November 14. Procurement and deployment of these buses are on. Under the FAME-II Scheme, BMTC received 1,221 e-buses and Rs 517.23 crore as central assistance. All 1,221 buses have been deployed. Bengaluru did not receive any buses under the earlier FAME Scheme, despite Karnataka getting 425 buses, the minister said. According to information provided by the minister, 6,862 electric buses have been deployed in the state under the FAME-II Scheme and 13,800 under the PM e-Drive Scheme. 236 charging stations set up In all, 236 electric vehicle charging stations have been set up across four major corridors in Bengaluru, the Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries told Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan in the Lok Sabha. In a written reply, the minister said oil marketing companies (OMCs) have set up 236 EV charging stations across these corridors, including 109 on Bengaluru-Pune Highway (NH 48), 64 on Bengaluru-Hyderabad Highway (NH 44), 33 on Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway (NH 275), and 30 on Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway. However, it was clarified that no centralised data is available on battery-swapping stations, nor has any study been conducted to assess whether the current infrastructure is adequate for heavy EVs such as electric buses and freight trucks.
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