Gadkari bats for all-electric BEST bus fleet for reduced fares and pollution

Transport Minister Gadkari has announced that Mumbai's BEST bus tickets could reduce by 30% once the vehicles are converted to electric, reducing operational costs by almost two-thirds. He also predicted that India would become the leading automobile manufacturer in the next five years. Gadkari credited the Modi government's capital investment-oriented policies for driving the country's economic growth. A report by the Public Policy Research Centre claims that under Modi, the country's growth rate has touched 9.1% in 2021-22, and the per capita GDP has increased to $2,257.

Mumbai: Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday declared that BEST bus tickets in Mumbai could reduce by 30 percent once the public transport authority’s vehicles were converted into electric ones, also reducing operation costs by almost two-thirds. The minister also claimed that India would be Number One in automobile-manufacturing in the next five years.

Mumbai, India – June 23, 2023: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during "The Blueprint of Progress Unleashing Economic Growth through Infrastructure Development “ prepared by Public Policy Research Center, New Delhi, on the occasion of the completion of 9 transformational year of Modi Govt, at Worli, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, June 23, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

While speaking at a conference of representatives from various sectors in Mumbai on the occasion of nine years of the Modi government, Gadkari held forth on how its capital investment-oriented policies had driven the country’s economic growth. “During the 60 years of Congress-led governments, investors were regarded with hatred by terming them capitalist or punjiwadi, but the Modi government encouraged capital investment,” he said. “This has been the most important feature of Modinomics and has driven the growth engine. It has helped generate employment, and we will soon become the largest economy in the world.”

Gadkari said that since electric vehicles were the future, the adoption of electric vehicles in public transport would help reduce operational costs and pollution as well. “We have launched air-conditioned double-decker buses in the BEST fleet,” he said. “Today the operational cost of BEST buses is ₹114 a kilometer, which can be brought down to ₹39 a kilometre for non-AC and ₹41 for AC buses by shifting the fleet to electric vehicles. This would enable BEST to bring down the fare cost by 30 percent.”

Gadkari predicted that the automobile industry would in the future touch ₹15 lakh crore from its current size of ₹7.5 lakh crore. “Two months ago, India jumped to Rank 3 by pushing Japan back to fourth position,” he said. “I can assure you that we will top the industry in the next five years. We have almost all leading automobile brands in India and have been major contributors to GST.”

Gadkari also showered fulsome praise on his own government. “The growth the country has witnessed in nine years under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi was way ahead of the development done in 60 years by the Congress,” he said. “The credit is not Modi’s or mine or that of any other leader on the dais. It is the people’s. Had you not elected us as MPs, Modiji would not have been the prime minister. The development in the country is just the trailer, and the film is yet to be released,” he said while concluding his speech.

During the conference, a report comparing the figures of economic growth was released by the Public Policy Research Centre, a public trust associated with the BJP.

According to its claims, the growth rate of the country which was 7.4 percent in 2014-15 and 6.4 percent in 2013-14 has touched 9.1 percent in 2021-22 under Modi. “The GDP during the UPA government in 2013-14 was just $1.86 trillion, which became $3.75 trillion in 2022-23,” the report stated. “The per capita GDP touched $2,257 in 2021-22 from $1,438 in 2013-14. Inflation has dropped to 4.25 percent in May 2023 from 10 percent in 2013-14 during the UPA government. Foreign direct investment during 2014-22 has been reported at $525 billion against $289 billion reported during the UPA’s rule from 2006 to 2014.”