No takers for Surat’s e-bus project pushes project even further

Surat: With tender for 100 e-bus project in Surat city getting no response from prospective partners, it is unlikely that the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) can start the ambitious project anytime soon. Meanwhile, it hopes to get an agency willing to invest a huge amount to procure, run and maintain these proposed e-buses.
The reason behind why SMC is finding no takers for its project is that e-buses, compared to traditional buses, are costlier. Therefore, to get an investor who would put around Rs 125 to 150 crore for 100 e-buses, depending upon its pricing, is uphill.
After the mass transportation system was restarted in 2014, the city now has 166 BRTS and 325 city buses playing on nearly 40 routes of 325 sq km area. The number is likely to be 500 by year end for city buses. At present 2.10 lakh people travel on a daily basis, which may rise to 3 lakh by year end.
With the present fleet running on diesel causing massive pollution and damage to the environment, SMC decided to enlist e-buses by setting up recharging facilities at a number of places. It also decided to go on PPP mode with gross cost contract pattern for these new buses. Under the pattern, private operators will have to procure, run and maintain the e-buses while the civic body will provide them infrastructure facility and pay the operators on kilometre basis.
Debasis Basak, executive engineer SMC said, “Our first tender did not get a good response. We have refloated the tender and this time expect good parties to come forward. Once the date for filing of tender is over by June, we will know the exact situation.”