Under the government’s “Shoonya – Zero Pollution Mobility” initiative Thane: Of the 300 buses, TMT has proposed to add 123 AC and non-AC e-buses, measuring 9 and 12 meters, within six months, 42 e-buses in the next couple of months, and the remaining 150 by June 2024. To improve the city’s air quality, the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) has made the decision to add more than 300 new e-buses to its fleet within a year.

Under the government’s “Shoonya – Zero Pollution Mobility” campaign, TMT has proposed to add 150 additional buses by June 2024, including 123 AC and non-AC e-buses measuring 9 and 12 meters over the next six months, 42 e-buses in the next few months, and the remaining 123 by then.

“Of these 123 new buses, which are valued at about 185 crore, 80 are already in use in the city, and 20 more are scheduled to come during Navratri. The buses will be operated by the electric bus manufacturer Olectra Greentech in Pune. According to Vilas Joshi, chairman of TMT, the buses will be provided on a gross cost contract (GCC) arrangement over a 15-year period. “TMT purchased the tender at the lowest price in the state at 61 per kilometer, whereas other corporations like Navi Mumbai and Virar are spending about 60 to 70 per kilometer. All four wheels of these buses will have disc brakes and air suspension. In addition, the 58 kWm power of the AC buses will guarantee that the temperature within the vehicle is maintained even when the door is opened at certain stops.

The 25 busiest routes, such as Majiwada to Bhiwandi, Shivai Nagar to Kelkar College in Mulund, and Vashi Railway Station to Retibunder Circle, are planned to be served by these buses. Although the buses have a 40-person capacity, Joshi continued, “They can carry 60 people.”

“These buses have passed the Yeoor test,” he assured the passengers, “wherein these were filled with 50 sandbags weighing 50kg each and then driven on the Yeoor Hills, stopping intermittently to check if the bus was capable of carrying the load.”

Despite these improvements, TMT bus breakdowns continue to be a prevalent occurrence. On Sunday night, a TMT bus’ tire caught fire in Anand Nagar Depot. “The driver understood that since the drum was fixed, motion was not feasible. He promptly switched the passengers to a different bus and then carefully drove the broken bus to the depot. According to Chandrashekhar Rane, deputy transport manager, “friction caused a minor fire due to increased heat,” adding that these are uncommon instances and appropriate action will be taken against the relevant contractor.

“Around 115 outdated buses were destroyed last year, and 4.86 crore rupees were recovered. There are currently 79 outdated buses, 17 of which will be destroyed before the end of December. Only when they have traveled 8,00,000 miles or have been in service for 12 years may these buses be dismantled. Most of the aging, creaky buses will be gone by February 2024. Since the delivery of a slot of these 123 e-buses was scheduled to take place in August 2023, this was intended to happen sooner, but it was postponed. The old buses are still in operation as a result, he said.

To accommodate the extra buses, the TMT intends to build new bus depots in Kopri and Kolshet. “Thane is growing at a rate that is impressive. Since it is the citizens’ input that counts, I frequently review the routes to guarantee that the TMT service is beneficial to them, Joshi continued.

Source- Hindustan times
Link- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/thane-to-get-300-new-e-buses-within-a-year-101696965258806.html