First of 100 electric buses reaches Gurugram, 25 more set to come in August

The fully AC bus with 25 seats will undergo load testing on three routes before more buses are inducted into the city fleet.

The first of the 100 electric buses to be supplied to the Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) reached Gurugram on Wednesday and has been inducted into the city bus fleet, marking the beginning of the city’s long-delayed electric bus rollout. The bus will undergo a three-day trial from Thursday on three different routes with passenger loads to assess its performance before the remaining buses are inducted.

Six charging points at the Sector 10 depot can charge 12 buses simultaneously in about 30 minutes, officials said. (HT)

GMCBL officials said the city bus service expects to receive the buses in batches, with the first 25 likely to become operational in August. A senior GMCBL official said the buses are being supplied under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme. In April this year, the vendor received the work order to supply 100 electric buses. The buses will be operated and maintained by the vendor, who will be paid a fixed charge of ₹55.47 per kilometre.

Vishwajeet Chaudhary, CEO, GMCBL, said the fully air-conditioned bus has 25 seats. “This bus will undergo a trial from Thursday for three days and on three different routes with a load to assess the performance. The colour scheme of buses is already finalised, and the charging infrastructure at the Sector 10 bus depot is ready. We expect 25 e-buses next month, which shall be made operational,” he said.

Charging infrastructure is being developed at the Sector 10 depot, as seen on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The city bus service has also launched an improved loop card on a trial basis. The prepaid smart travel card is available for ₹100, which can be fully utilised as bus fare. Commuters can also make digital payments through point-of-sale machines.

In a statement, PC Meena, CEO, GMDA, said, “The introduction of electric buses, smart ticketing and digital payment facilities reflects GMCBL’s commitment to building a modern public transport system.”

The buses will be operated and maintained by the vendor, who will be paid a fixed charge of ₹55.47 per kilometre. (HT)

The induction of the first e-bus comes after years of delays in the project’s rollout. Gurugram was allocated 100 electric buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme in 2023, but the procurement process was delayed due to tender-related litigation, repeated rejection of bidders over financial and pricing concerns, and administrative approval hurdles. The project missed multiple deadlines, with the expected rollout shifting from 2023 to 2024 and then to mid-2025. In April this year, officials had said the city would receive the buses by July after the concessionaire was finalised in February 2025 for procuring, operating and maintaining 450 electric buses across Haryana, including 100 for Gurugram.