The government has announced that it has approved 670 electric buses for Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, and Chandigarh and 241 charging stations in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Port Blair under Phase-II of the FAME India Scheme.
Union Heavy Industries Minister Prakash Javadekar believed the decision echoes the Centre’s obligation to ease dependence on fossil fuel and address the issues of vehicular emissions and is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for eco-friendly public transportation.
“This is a good start, these e-buses, e-rickshaws, and e-scooters, as well as e-cars for city use, are the best way forward for environment-friendly transport,” he supposed.
Javadekar believed the setting up of charging stations is a key infrastructure necessity to promote electric vehicles.
“Already 450 buses are plying in various cities. Now 670 e-buses are sanctioned. Maharashtra has got 240, Gujarat has got 250, Goa has got 100 and Chandigarh has got 80. Kerala and other states have also got e-charging stations because all those corporations who are completing the formalities, we are sanctioning e-buses for them,” he further added.
The Department of Heavy Industries under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises is managing the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme since April 2015 to encourage the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in India.
Currently, Phase-II of the FAME India Scheme is being employed for a period of 3 years with effect from April 1, 2019, with the total financial support of Rs 10,000 crore.
Additionally, the department has formal 425 electric and hybrid buses to various cities in the country at a total cost of about Rs 280 crore. It had also approved 520 charging stations for around Rs 43 crore in cities like Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and NCR of Delhi under Phase-I of the FAME-India Scheme.
