PM-eBus Sewa cleared; scheme to provide 169 cities with 10,000 electric buses

The Centre, in a bid to enhance green mobility, is set to provide 169 cities with 10,000 electric buses under the public-private partnership (PPP) model as part of the PM-eBus Sewa scheme. The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on Wednesday (August 16).

The scheme will cost an estimated Rs 57,613 crore, of which Rs 20,000 crore will be provided by the Centre and the rest will be borne by the states, Union Minister Anurag Thakur told the media.

He said priority will be given to the cities that do not have an organised bus service. The scheme will continue till 2037, the information and broadcasting minister said.

Two segments

The scheme has two segments — augmenting city bus services in 169 cities and green urban mobility initiatives in 181 cities.

Under the second segment, the scheme envisages green initiatives like bus priority, infrastructure, multi-modal interchange facilities, NCMC-based automated fare collection systems and charging infrastructure.

The Union Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and approved the PM-eBus Sewa scheme with a total outlay of Rs 57,613 crore, the minister said.

45,000 to 55,000 direct jobs

The e-buses will be available in cities with a population between 5 lakh and 40 lakh, he said, adding that the scheme will support bus operations for 10 years. Thakur said the scheme will generate 45,000 to 55,000 direct jobs.

“The cities will be selected through a challenge (for the scheme). Non-motorised transport would also be provided to help public transport in these cities,” he said.

Thakur said while 50 buses would be provided to cities with a population of less than 5 lakh, 100 buses would be provided in those with a population of 5 lakh to 20 lakh, and 150 buses in cities with a population of 20 to 40 lakh.

More buses would be provided to the cites that scrap old buses. The buses would be procured, operated, and maintained under the PPP model, and central assistance would be provided under the scheme, he said.

How it will work

“Of the total Rs 20,000 crore to be given by the Government of India, Rs 15,930 crore will be given for buses and Rs 2,264 crore for infrastructure development and providing back-end facilities, besides Rs 1,506 crore for green urban mobility,” he said.

The minister said, “While states will bear 40 per cent of the costs, the Centre would provide 60 per cent assistance to states under the scheme.” In the hill states, Union Territories, and north-eastern states, the Centre would provide 90 per cent assistance under the scheme, with the remaining to be borne by them, Thakur said.

In a statement, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said under the scheme, cities will be responsible for running bus services and making payments to bus operators. The central government will support these bus operations by providing subsidies to the extent specified in the proposed scheme, it said, adding that priority will be given to the cities that have no organised bus service.

While presenting the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a Rs 18,000-crore scheme to augment public transport in urban areas.

(With agency inputs)