Mira-Bhayandar: With a significant surge in the number of daily passengers, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has sought financial assistance from the state government to procure 50 more electric buses and also to enhance infrastructure by creating a modern bus depot.
In his letter to the principal secretaries of the state urban development department (UDD) and finance department, civic chief Dilip Dhole has sought ₹24 crore to add 45 e-buses including 12 meter air-conditioned standard (25), 9 meter air-conditioned mini (15) and 7 meter air conditioned mini (10) and another ₹51 crore to create a modern bus depot-cum-fuel and charging station for the bus fleet. Presently, 71 out of the 74 diesel powered buses operate on 18 routes which have an average ridership of 90,000 commuters per day as collections hover above ₹8.5 lakh.
Meanwhile, 30 out of the 57 new electric buses ordered by the MBMC are in the final stages of delivery. The additions will take the existing fleet size to 131 buses. As the ridership is witnessing a significant surge, every passing day, the civic administration projects the figures to cross the two-lakh mark in the next three years. “While the ridership is expected to double by the end of three years, the upward trend is bound to continue owing to factors like rise in population and metro connectivity on feeder routes. With the induction of e-buses, we plan to gradually phase out the conventional mode of transport by replacing it with this eco-friendly and pocket friendly alternative. Considering the future needs, we have sought funds from the government for more e-buses and depots,” said Dhole.
Mira-Bhayandar population surge
The population of the twin-city has shot up from 8.09 lakh in 2011 to 15 lakh in 2022. The MBMC has appointed a Pune-based company to operate the public transport system on a wet leased Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model under which buses will be owned, maintained, and driven by a private contractor who will also pay for fuel (charging) in exchange for a fixed per-km rate and generate income through advertisements. MBMC will only deploy conductors to collect revenue through ticket sales. The e-bus project is being implemented under the aegis of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) mooted by the central government for improving air quality in the country in mission mode.
