AFTER concerns were first raised last year over delayed deliveries of electric buses, the rollout by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) continues to lag, with the Nagpur division emerging as a clear example of the widening gap between targets and execution. MSRTC had placed a record order of 5,150 electric buses for deployment across Maharashtra. However, progress remains slow.

 

In Nagpur division, only 63 buses have been received so far against an allocation of 228, limiting operations to a handful of depots and routes. Delays continue to persist linked to supply constraints at the manufacturer level. Today the situation shows little improvement. Expansion plans hinge on incomplete depots FURTHER expansion remains dependent on new depot infrastructure coming up at Katol, Ramtek, Saoner and Umred, which are slated to accommodate 93 buses in total. When contacted by The Hitavada, senior officials stated that these facilities are expected to be completed within 18 months, further pushing back full operational deployment. Manufacturer yet to match scale of orders THE buses are being supplied by Olectra Greentech Limited, a subsidiary of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited-based in Hyderabad. It has reportedly secured orders for nearly 17,000 buses across the country.

 

However, production capacity continues to fall short of expectations. In Maharashtra alone, only about 1,200 buses have been delivered so far a small fraction of MSRTC’s total order. 2030 electric target: Ambition vs Reality PRATAP Sarnaik, State TransportMinister,hadrecently set a goal to make the entire Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation fleet electric by 2030. However, with only about 1,200 buses delivered in Maharashtra so far-andjust 63 of 228 in Nagpur division, the slow paceraises concerns.Even the current order deadline has been extended to December 2026. Unless deliveries and infrastructurework accelerate sharply, the 2030 target may prove difficult to achieve