The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has 30 electric buses and a fully equipped charging and maintenance facility ready, but services have not commenced as the civic body awaits a formal inauguration. The first batch of seven e-buses arrived in the city in April, but operations were delayed because the charging and maintenance facility at Gotri was incomplete at that time. With the facility now ready, the VMC has also identified 28 routes for the new buses.
Fleet Expansion Plans
Officials have stated that the city’s bus fleet will increase to 40 e-buses by the end of this month. These buses have been allocated under the central government’s PMeBus Sewa scheme. In total, Vadodara is scheduled to receive 250 e-buses by the end of this year.
Charging Infrastructure Development
The charging and maintenance facility at Gotri, which includes passenger amenities, is the first of its kind in the city. Two similar facilities will be developed in Sayajigunj and Nizampura. According to an official, “These will help decentralize operations and ensure charging access across the city.”
Reason for Delay
Despite public interest in the new fleet, the buses have remained unused for nearly a month after their arrival. Officials attribute the delay to the launch process. VMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner V M Rajput explained, “This is a scheme of the central government under which buses are provided to states. Inaugurations are often held simultaneously from one beneficiary state or through a common event. Once that is completed, we can start operating the buses.”
The VMC is also monitoring other related developments, including gold and silver rates, bank and public holidays, air quality index, weather, and fuel prices in Vadodara, as part of its civic information services.
