Electric buses, which run on batteries, will soon be introduced in Mumbai. A financial aid of Rs 100 crore provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be used to procure these eco-friendly buses for the city.
The annual budget for the year 2016-17 was approved in the BMC standing committee meeting, in which it was also decided to allocate Rs 100 crore to the Brihanmumbai Electric and Suburban Transport (BEST) undertaking. The decision was taken with an aim to offer help to BEST, which is in financial doldrums.
“The funds will also be used to procure electric buses. We are planning to buy them for the Fort Ferry scheme. The BEST presently is running 22 buses for the Fort Ferry. In the first phase, the electric buses will replace 10 of them. The number of electric buses will be increased in the city in a phased manner,” said standing committee chairman Shailesh Phanse.
“The cost of each electric bus is around Rs 90 lakh. We can even ask for a loan from the Centre for this project,” he added.
Proposals worth Rs 500 crore were added to the budget in the standing committee. Of them, Rs 100 crore will be given to the BEST, whereas 227 corporators were given Rs one crore each. The Shiv Sena has given its corporators Rs 65 crore, whereas the BJP has been given Rs 35.5 crore, Congress Rs 14 crore, MNS and Samajwadi party Rs 9 crore each and the NCP Rs 7.5 crore.
Also, Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for the Sena’s ambitious plans of setting up a theme park at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Several heads have also been opened in the budget — hospital on wheels for senior citizens (Rs 51 lakh), underground subway at the zebra crossings on roads (Rs 10 lakh), beautification of heritage and religious structures (Rs 25 lakh) and women clinics (Rs 10 lakh).
