The Panvel City Municipal Corporation has approved a Rs 288 crore proposal to start its own bus service, ending a decade-long wait for a dedicated municipal transport system in the rapidly expanding civic area. The plan proposes 100 electric buses, 68 bus stops and 76 charging stations at a bus depot.
The proposal was cleared at a special general body meeting held on Thursday. The capital expenditure will be incurred by the Panvel civic body, while the operational expenditure will be supported through the central government’s PM e-Bus Seva programme, according to the details presented to elected representatives.
The proposed fleet is expected to operate 200 km per day. The draft detailed project report provides for three different bus models, although the report does not specify the number of buses under each model or the routes on which they will operate.
Panvel civic commissioner Mangesh Chitale told the meeting that an integrated transportation system could not be created by reducing capital expenditure. The proposal also takes into account the planned expansion of the Panvel civic area, including locations such as NAINA and Karanjade.
The decision comes after PCMC took about 10 years to approve its own bus service proposal. Other civic bodies were cited at the meeting as having approved their bus services within two to four years of their formation. Until now, bus services in the PCMC area have been provided by BEST, Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport and Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Transport.
The proposed service is intended to add a municipal transport network to an area that includes established urban settlements as well as developing and rural pockets. Corporators raised concerns about access in rural areas and sought the inclusion of mini buses to serve locations that may not be suitable for larger vehicles.
Mayor Nitin Patil agreed to form a committee with representation from both the ruling and opposition parties. The committee will examine different aspects of the approved proposal, including the service design and access-related concerns raised during the meeting.
The proposal’s stated scale places the bus service alongside the wider infrastructure requirements created by Panvel’s expanding municipal boundary. However, the source report does not provide a launch date, route map, fare structure, procurement schedule or the proposed allocation between the civic body’s capital spending and PM e-Bus Seva’s operational support. These details will determine when residents can begin using the service and how effectively it reaches areas currently underserved by existing operators.
