The city’s transition towards sustainable urban mobility reached a significant milestone as the 100 EKA electric buses have joined the Aapli Bus fleet. According to data from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Transport Department, this green initiative began on July 14, 2025, with an initial rollout of 15 high-capacity buses, each bus offers a seating capacity for 41 passengers and a standing capacity for an additional 24 commuters. While the city enjoys the 100 operational Eka buses, the full rollout of the 250-bus order remains stalled. Currently, 150 buses are still in the pipeline. An administrative officer revealed a frustrating reality: 50 buses are already parked at the depot but cannot be utilised.

 

“The remaining buses are ready for delivery from the manufacturer, but incomplete depot infrastructure at Khapri and Wathoda has created a bottleneck,” the officer explained. Specifically, pending electricity line work at these locations is the primary cause of delay. The administration has purposely halted further deliveries to prevent the vehicles from ‘tiring in the sun’ without proper charging facilities. Addressing the timeline, a senior Transport Officer stated, “The Government is ready to deliver the full fleet. As soon as the infrastructure and electrical works at the designated depots are completed, the remaining buses will be operationalised immediately to serve the citizens.” Currently, the city’s transport backbone still relies heavily on a fleet of 195 diesel buses.

 

This fleet comprises of 150 buses with a 32-seater capacity and 45 smaller 20-seater buses used for narrower routes. While these vehicles have served the city for years, they contribute significantly to urban air pollution. The arrival and operationalisation of the remaining electric buses are expected to trigger a phased withdrawal of these diesel units, drastically reducing carbon emissions and leading Nagpur toward a more breathable and sustainable environment. These EKA buses are part of a visionary project funded by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The initiative was championed by the Maharashtra Government to modernise public transport in city.

 

This push for electrification was significantly accelerated during the tenure of the current State leadership, focusing on reducing the carbon footprint of the Orange City. Supplementing this fleet, 50 PM-eBus Sewa units (32-sealers) were recently delivered, further strengthening the city’s electric grid. Meanwhile, replacing diesel buses into electric buses is a step towards sustainable environment and once all the diesel units gets vanished from the streets, a certain amount of pollution might deduct from the atmosphere of the city.