Pune: Fifty new e-buses are being added to the PMPML fleet by the end of January. These buses are manufactured by Olectra, and a PMPML team has arrived at the company's factory in Hyderabad to inspect
them.
Twenty-five buses will arrive in the next four to five days, while the remaining 25 are expected to arrive in the third week of January. The inauguration ceremony for these 50 buses is likely to be held at the Nigdi bus depot, presided over by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Last year, 160 e-buses were expected to join the PMPML fleet. However, due to some technical reasons, there was a delay. Of the 160 buses, 25 have already been manufactured and are ready. After the PMPML team completes its inspection, officials from the Central Institute of Road Transport will also inspect the buses before taking delivery and issue a certificate confirming their suitability. The buses will be added to the PMPML fleet immediately after receiving this certificate.
Relief for around 50K passengers
With the arrival of the new e-buses, approximately 50,000 daily commuters will benefit. All these buses will operate from the Nigdi depot. Additionally, five new DC chargers will be installed at the Nigdi depot. This will significantly reduce bus charging time. A bus will be fully charged in just forty to fifty minutes.
Currently, the depot has AC chargers, which take at least three hours to charge a single bus. The DC chargers will enable faster and more efficient charging, consequently reducing the number of buses out of service due to charging issues. This will be of great benefit to the passengers.
Pankaj Deore, Chairman and Managing Director, PMPML, said, “Twenty-five new e-buses are arriving in the next four to five days, and another 25 are expected by the end of this month. We intend to have these buses inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.”
