AMC eying fleet of 150 EV buses, ASCDCL preparing Detailed Project Report, Gross Cost Contract model to be followed

Yogesh Gole

Aurangabad, Sept 17: With an aim to augment its fleet of Electric Vehicles (EVs), the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for procuring 150 EV buses on the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model.

As reported earlier, the Special Purpose Vehicle Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Ltd (ASCDCL) is implementing the Smart City Bus project. Initially, it is aiming to add five EVs by the end of this year after completing all procedures.

Speaking to Lokmat Times, ASCDCL Project Associate (Bus Division) Rushikesh Ingle said, “World over GCC model is preferred as capital expenditure involved in buying EV buses is very high. While preparing the DPR, the ASCDCL’s in-house team of technical experts will take into account experiences of the other municipal corporations and make a fool-proof plan.’’

Currently, the ASCDCL has a fleet of 100 diesel buses bought from own resources. Of them, 50 to 60 buses are operational and approximately, 12,000 passengers travel in them daily. Before the Covid outbreak, the number was 25,000. If the Covid situation permits, from the next month 90 buses will be operational. Ten buses have to be kept as reserved,” Ingle said.

“As per the Bharat Stage 6 norms, the maintenance, replacing diesel engines is a costly affair. We sustain expenditure of Rs 60 per kilo mere (including fuel, employee cost and all other expenses) in operating diesel buses. We are working out financial benefits of deploying EVs. Passengers travelling in EVs will be leaving their internal combustion vehicles at home so the city will enjoy environmental benefits by way of reduced pollution,’’ Ingle signed off.

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What is GCC model?

The contractor concerned will buy and maintain EV buses, raise charging facility and provide drivers too. The ASCDCL has rights to operate city buses in Aurangabad and will provide conductors, time schedule and bus routes to the operator. It will pay to the contractor the fixed cost per kilo meter quoted by him. Post this payment, the SPV will keep profit or bear loss.

AMC is yet to board the FAME bus

In 2015, the Central Government implemented the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV (FAME) scheme, providing subsidy for buying e or hybrid vehicles. The three-year Rs 10,000 crore FAME-II plan was introduced in April 1, 2019. Under the scheme, maximum subsidy of Rs 50 lakh (Rs 20,000/kwh capacity) can be availed against an e-bus costing Rs 2 crore. Proposals of BEST, Mumbai (300 buses), Nagpur and Navi Mumbai (100 each), Nashik (50), Solapur (25) are already in the process of the sanction at the centre. The AMC is, however, yet to apply for the scheme. Interestingly, in its recent EV Policy, the State Government has sanctioned 10 per cent of the cost (maximum Rs 20 lakh), as an incentive to buyers of EV buses. This will be in addition to the FAME-II incentives. Rishikesh Ingle said that the ASCDCL will route its proposals through the appropriate government agencies to get these grants.