Mega tender under electric bus scheme hit by fee, charging hurdles

Bidding for India’s largest e-bus tender under the marquee PM E-Drive scheme has been extended once again due to concerns of companies and states over the lack of adequate charging infrastructure in depots and the high cost of participation in the tender.

- Manas Pimpalkhare & Ayaan Khartik

The tender is for 10,900 e-buses in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Surat on a per-kilometre basis.

(PT)

The last date for submission of bids was originally 12 August. ‘This was deferred to 4 October and now to 6 November, according to publicly available tender documents. The delay in bid submission was due to the lack of adequate infrastructure for ¢-buses and the stringent conditions that busmakers had to meet, three people aware of the developments said.

The tender is for 10,900 e-buses in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Surat on a per-kilometre basis. Under this gross cost contract (GCC) model, the buses will be owned by the manufacturers while the state transport agencies pay to operate and maintain them.