First batch of VMC’s electric buses about to roll in

Vadodara: The city's long-awaited electric bus service is set to begin, with the first lot of 42 buses expected later this month. Work on charging stations for the new fleet is also nearing completion. The Union government has approved 250 electric buses for the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) under the PMe-Bus Sewa scheme. The tender process for 100 buses is complete, and deliveries will start soon. Charging stations are planned at Gotri, Sayajigunj and Makarpura. Work has begun at Gotri and Sayajigunj. In Sayajigunj, the existing city bus stand opposite the railway station will be replaced by a charging station that will also function as a bus stand. The Gotri facility is planned as a passenger-friendly centre with additional amenities. VMC executive engineer (mechanical) Dharmesh Rana said the buses will be introduced in phases. "We expect 50 or more buses will be delivered three months after the first lot arrives, with a total number of 100. The remaining 150 buses will come later," he said. Rana said the contractor will operate the buses at Rs 65 per km. Of this, the state government will pay Rs 22 and the Centre Rs 30, while the VMC will bear the remaining Rs 13. The corporation plans to recover this amount through rentals at bus stands, advertising and other revenue sources. The existing CNG bus service, run by a contractor with a fleet of 150 buses (around 130 operational daily), will be gradually phased out once the e-bus service starts. Current contractor wants to quit The contractor currently operating the city bus service has asked the VMC to end the agreement. The corporation had signed a five-year contract with Vinayak Logistics in 2017, extendable by another five years. "In 2023, the VMC found the contract unviable and we were told our service would be terminated. However, after that we have been given extensions of three, four and 11 months," said the contractor's general manager, Narendrasinh Rana. Coverage to expand outside the city The VMC also plans to extend bus services to nearby towns such as Padra, Savli, Waghodiya Road and Por once it has sufficient buses. An official said this would help commuters who travel daily between Vadodara and these locations, where much of the traffic is currently handled by autorickshaws, vans and state transport buses.