Nagpur: The NMC’s Transport Committee headed by Jitendra Kukde on Thursday presented a Rs 384 crore budget for the year 2022-23. Kukde submitted the last budget of the BJP-ruled transport panel to Standing Committee Chairman Prakash Bhoyar. Now, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B will include the Committee’s expenditure and income in his projected budget for 2022-23.
Kukde said that the NMC is keen to hand over the Aapli Bus fleet to MahaMetro along with its liabilities of Rs 20 crore and assets worth Rs 1,100 crore.
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24 May 2025
The budget stressed on replacing the diesel-run buses with electric buses. Currently, of the 437-bus fleet, only six are electric buses. By 2022 end, the NMC plans to bring 230 electric buses. The NMC has also approached the Central Government for subsidy for 60 electric buses which the former refused to procure due to increase in liability. To a query, Kukde said the NMC will be getting 15 air-conditioned electric buses from the Smart City. Initially, the fares of both diesel and AC buses will be same for at least a year, he said.
Interacting with newspersons, Kukde said the reason for pushing city bus service to Maha Metro is to have a single body for public transport subject. This ensures better decision-making and avoids duplication of effort. Two rounds of talks were held between civic body officials and Maha Metro and discussion veered around the operating pattern and subsequent decision that would be needed to complete integration, subject to nod from Maharashtra Government.
