Jaipur, Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday flagged off 29 electric buses for public transport in Jaipur and virtually launched 18 buses in Bhilwara under the Centre's PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, introducing electric city bus services in the state.
Addressing the programme, Sharma -- who flagged off the buses from Amar Jawan Jyoti and later travelled in one of the electric buses to the state hangar at Jaipur airport -- said the initiative would promote clean, safe and affordable public transport while helping reduce urban pollution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme in August 2023 to encourage electric public transport across cities.
He said the Centre will provide support for depot development, electrical infrastructure and operations.
He said under the scheme 675 electric buses have been sanctioned for eight cities -- Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Bikaner, Bhilwara, Alwar and Ajmer, and additional 475 buses have also been approved, taking the total allocation for Rajasthan to 1,150 electric buses.
The chief minister said 675 buses would be operational in the first phase by Diwali.
The buses are equipped with modern facilities including air-conditioning, CCTV cameras and panic buttons.
They are designed to provide safe and convenient travel for women, students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities, he said.
