The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation's (MSRTC) drive towards green public transport is facing significant delays, forcing a renewed and substantial reliance on diesel buses. In a major shift, the corporation now plans to significantly expand its fleet with 8,000 new diesel buses next year, as its ambitious electric bus procurement and diesel-to-CNG conversion programs crawl forward.
E-Bus Targets Missed, Diesel Fleet Gets a Boost
MSRTC's vision of transforming its fleet with electric vehicles has hit multiple snags. While the corporation had announced plans to acquire 5,000 e-buses within two to three years after receiving its first such bus in June 2022, the reality is starkly different. To date, MSRTC has taken delivery of only 600 of the 5,150 e-buses it contracted for, and officials are uncertain about when more will arrive.
This delay has compelled the transport body to fall back on diesel vehicles to meet urgent operational needs. "This year, the transport body received 2,475 ordinary diesel buses, and next year 8,000 more such buses will join the fleet," confirmed MSRTC's public relations officer, Abhijit Bhosle. He added that this infusion will improve fleet strength, leading to more stops, destinations, and trips for passengers.
Contractual Hurdles and Slow Green Transition
The e-bus procurement has been marred by contractual issues. In November 2023, MSRTC awarded a contract to Evey Trans Private Limited to supply and operate 5,150 e-buses over two years. The company failed to supply 1,935 buses by January 2024 as agreed, leading State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to first cancel and then, in May, reinstate the contract with a revised schedule.
Parallel efforts to convert existing diesel buses to cleaner CNG fuel are also progressing slowly, with only 1,000 buses converted so far. An anonymous senior official acknowledged the slow pace, stating, "Progress on the EV front and the conversion of diesel buses into CNG is moving at a snail's pace." The official emphasized that the immediate need to strengthen a weak fleet, which should ideally number between 23,000 to 24,000 buses, has forced this focus on diesel buses.
Commuters Bear the Brunt of Fleet Shortages
The operational challenges directly impact daily passengers. Commuters like Sachin Patil, a businessman traveling between Pune and Kolhapur, highlight the deteriorating service. "Many of the buses are old and in a dilapidated condition. Breakdowns have become common, and the thin fleet has also led to buses not following the schedule," Patil said. He stressed that commuters urgently need more and better buses, regardless of the fuel type.
This situation presents a clear contradiction to the Maharashtra government's EV policy, unveiled earlier this year, which aims to make the state an electric vehicle hub and achieve 30% EV penetration. With MSRTC's current fleet strength at 14,887 buses and massive diesel additions on the horizon, bridging the gap between policy goals and ground reality remains a formidable challenge for the state's public transport system.
