E-Transit Good Option for Transport : Fadnavis

Mumbai, April 11:E-Transit is a good option for urban transportation, and officials have been instructed to examine its financial viability and submit a report, stated Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

A meeting was held at Sahyadri Guest House with representatives of HESS-AG, regarding the launch of E-Transit on a pilot basis in the Pimpri-Chinchwad metropolitan area. Chief Minister Fadnavis shared his views during this meeting.

Stressing the need to examine the feasibility of the project, CM Fadnavis suggested that the company should manufacture its products in India, which would reduce production costs and, in turn, the overall project expenditure. If the company can offer an efficient urban transport system at an affordable cost, such projects can be implemented in at least 10cities across the state. He directed the company to start manufacturing their E-Transit buses within India and to submit a detailed report on initiating the project in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area.

CM Fadnavis further added that a proposal should be prepared considering the economic and operational aspects of current E-buses, Metro, and E-Transit systems together. The company must present a practical and viable proposal. He mentioned that an alternative alongside Metro is currently necessary for cities, and if E-Transit can fulfill that role, it would be most welcome.

The meeting was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge, Principal Secretary Ashwini Bhide, PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh, and representatives from HESS-AG.

It is proposed that a High-Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMT) system will be developed by integrating the existing Metro and BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) systems in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal area. As part of this plan, a detailed discussion on the E-Transit option was held today.