Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s expenditure for operating the Aapli bus service will increase by nearly Rs 126.42 million in the financial year 2022-23. In total, the Department of Transport has planned an expenditure of Rs 238.89 crore for the operation of electric buses only.
Additionally, the civic body is expected to spend Rs 112.47 crore on operating 262 diesel and CNG buses.
“The NMC expects increased spending due to the purchase of 115 electric buses, which will be added to the Aapli Bus fleet in the next fiscal year,” said Transportation Director and Deputy City Commissioner Ravindra. Bhelave in the Department of Transportation budget submitted prior to transportation. committee meeting chaired by Jitendra Kukde on Tuesday.
Currently, the NMC operates six Tejaswini electric buses. The department hopes to buy 40 e-buses next year under the central government’s Fame-II project, 15 from the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation and another 100 from the central government. This will bring to 176 the number of electric buses that will be operated on the city’s roads. It is part of NMC’s planned purchase of 233 midday buses for Rs104.92 crore between 2020-21 and 2022-23, Bhelave said.
However, it will increase NMC’s expenses for Aapli Bus operations, he admitted. The use of electric buses will slowly reduce the Viability Gap Funding (VGF), he asserted and added that the VGF will decrease by almost Rs 1 crore every year.
Bhelave also presented the revised budget for the current year with expected income of Rs178.08 crore and expenditure of Rs177.90 crore.
The expected revenue from Aapli Bus for the next financial year will be Rs 384.31 crore, while Rs 384.11 crore will be spent on city bus operations.
To ensure the smooth operation of the Aapli bus service, Bhelave said that funds under separate headings – the City Transportation Fund for the operation of transportation services as well as the Revenue Reserve Fund for the use of surplus revenues and a Transportation Improvement Fund – were created.
Amid the Covid pandemic, the daily passenger count of Aapli buses is around 71,000. At present, a total of 361 buses are in operation, including 172 standard diesel, CNG buses, 141 midi buses, 42 minibuses and 6 women-only (electric) Tejaswini buses make 4,600 trips a day.
GROUND REALITY
Bhelave demanded an additional allocation of Rs145 crore as VGF for the year 2022-23. In the current financial year, the NMC received Rs108 crore as VGF.
APPROVAL
Nagpur Municipal Corporation has received central government approval for 100 electric buses. Already, the NMC has placed an order for 40 electric midi-buses, 15 of which will be inducted by March 2022.
SPENT
NMC to spend in 2022-23
Rs112.47 crore to operate 262 diesel and CNG buses
Rs238.89 crore for 176 electric buses, including Rs50.17 crore for ticket agencies and integrated bus transport management operator