Three CNG pumps at depots, 81 electric buses part of Thane Municipal Transport’s Rs 620 crore budget

February 9, 2022

THANE: With focus on maximising revenues and creating an alternative source of income, the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) has proposed to operate CNG pumps at three of its depots in the city. The proposal is among the many schemes planned by the administration as it presented the Rs 620-crore budget outlay for fiscal 2022-23 on Tuesday evening.

While the budget has refrained from making any fresh announcements, commuters have been spared a fare hike in the election year. The budget also has allocations for inducting its first-ever fleet of 81 electric buses under wet lease in the coming financial year using central government grants under the Clean Air Programme initiative.

The administration also aims to optimise operations of its fleet of 362 buses and double ticket sales in the next fiscal. The initiative to include fuel vending machines as an alternate means of income could probably be a first by any local transport body in Mumbai and suburbs, said transport officials.

The undertaking justified adopting fuel vending initiatives claiming a drop in income generation due to Covid and rising competition from other modes of transport.

“We have proposed to allocate space at our three depots at Wagle estate, Nilkanth and Anand Nagar to set up these CNG pumps which can also be accessed by private vehicles for refuelling. We will also request Thane corporation and other government bodies to refuel their vehicles at our pumps which will help increase our sales and revenue. We may be the first transport undertaking to start fuel vending,” said Bhalchandra Behare, manager at Thane transport undertaking. The budget was approved by the transport committee and subsequently presented to the standing committee.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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