RAIPUR: Despite securing approvals for 240 electric buses, Chhattisgarh has failed to deploy a single vehicle onto city streets under PM-eBus Sewa scheme.
While some neighbouring states sprint ahead in modernising public transit, the state remains stalled at the starting line stranding commuters amid chronic urban transport shortages.
Rajasthan has deployed 118 electric buses across eight cities, while Madhya Pradesh has rolled out 46 buses servicing key corridors in Bhopal and Indore.
The bus allocation for Chhattisgarh is distributed across key urban centres including Raipur (100 buses), Durg-Bhilai (50 buses), Bilaspur (50 buses), and Korba (40 buses), officials said.
The PM-eBus Sewa is not merely an acquisition drive. The central initiative relies on a public-private partnership model backed by per-kilometer central subsidies. It demands the rapid development of dedicated bus depots, rapid-charging stations, ITMS tracking systems, and digital ticketing solutions.
While state authorities claim they are still reviewing route plans and operational readiness, no firm serviceable timeline exists, turning what should have been a flagship urban infrastructure upgrade into an indefinite waiting game for urban commuters.
