Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik informed the Legislative Council Monday that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) willconvert its entire fleetof 22,000 buses to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2037.
He also said the move positions Maharashtra as the first state in the country to commit to a total transition of its state-run bus network to EVs.
“Currently, out of our 22,000 buses, approximately 800 are electric.
It is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavisthat India transition entirely to electric mobility by 2047.
As part of that campaign, we have moved our target forward to ensure the MSRTC fleet is 100 per cent electric by 2037,” said Sarnaik.
He also said that while there was an initial plan to purchase 5,000 diesel buses annually for the next five years, that strategy has been significantly overhauled.
“It has now been decided that, beyond the 8,000 diesel buses currently in progress, all future additions to the fleet will be electric.
We have also planned a scheme to convert diesel buses to EVs,” he said.
“We have also created a proposal under which solar power will be used for recharging the charging stations to save electricity and which will ultimately help the environment,” the minister said.
Sarnaik also said the government has proposed using solar power to run charging stations, reducing reliance on the traditional power grid.
Sarnaik said thestate’s EV Policy 2026provides various monetary benefits for EV purchases, including tax exemptions and toll discounts.
EVs currently enjoy total toll waivers on major arterial routes, including theMumbai–PuneExpressway, the Nagpur–Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg, and the Atal Setu (MTHL).
“In addition, the state government is developing charging stations every 25 km on highways, extending financial benefits, promoting courses on developing charging technology,” he said.
Delhicurrently boasts thelargest electric bus fleet in India, with over 4,200 EVs.
As part of its EV policy, the Delhi government aims to expand its fleet of electric buses to 7,500 by the end of 2026 and to 14,000 by 2028.
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Source: This article was originally published by The Indian Express
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