Aaditya Thackeray for use of electric vehicles

Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray has pushed for formulating and implementing a policy to promote zero emission electric vehicles in Maharashtra, especially in public transport and goods transport services.

Aaditya yesterday called on Maharashtra Transport minister Diwakar Raote.

"I called on Transport Minister @DRaote ji this evening to take forward our on going discussion on formulating & implementing a policy to promote zero emission electric vehicles in Maharashtra, especially in public transport & goods-dispatch services," tweeted Aaditya.

He said seeing the benefit of the electric buses operated by BEST, he requested the transport minister to encourage electric buses on Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Ahmednagar, Pune Kolhapur routes to promote emission free transport in the state.

"More so, in the intra-city public transport and delivery bikes like for those of food and goods, electric bikes/cycles must be promoted by the government to reduce pollution. We must do everything we can to keep our world clean and green," he added.

He also claimed that the minister has promised to take concrete steps in the next few days to promote electric/hybrid zero emission transport.

As per the Economic Survey of Maharashtra report for 2016-17, the state owned Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has a fleet of 18,726 buses.

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST), which operates public transport in Mumbai, has a fleet of about 3,800 buses.

At present, BEST is operating six electric buses on a trial basis.