Maharashtra faces 24,000-bus deficit, urgent need for fleet expansion

There are currently 3,600 public transport buses operated in the Greater Mumbai area. File pic

The latest report by think tank Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India has revealed that there is a severe deficit of public buses in Maharashtra's urban areas. According to the report, the state needs 28,800 buses across its 44 cities to meet the mobility demands of 5.6 crore residents. Currently, the urban bus fleet stands at a mere 8,700, out of which 3,500 buses are nearing the end of their operational life. This leaves an alarming gap of 24,000 buses, including replacements for retiring vehicles.

"Introducing 24,000 new buses can lead to the removal of 19 lakh cars and 30 lakh two-wheelers trips from Maharashtra roads daily," said Vaishali Singh, programme manager, Transport Systems and Electric Mobility, ITDP India. "This shift can significantly advance efforts to combat air pollution."

"The study pegs the reduction in CO2 emissions amounting to nearly 30,000 tonnes annually. The benefits of this would be akin to growing and nurturing 4,96,053 trees for 10 years. It can also create approximately 1.5 lakh jobs in the public transport sector for bus operations and provide high-quality affordable public transport to 5 crore citizens," she added.

It is imperative that the government urgently addresses the need for more buses in this year's budget. Using the route of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) could be one way forward. "It's critical for Maharashtra's new government to seize this opportunity and prioritise buses in the upcoming budget. Allocating at least R1,000 crore to address 20 per cent of the fleet deficit through VGF for buses operating under gross cost contracts can make a significant difference," said Aswathy Dilip, managing director, ITDP India.

How numbers were derived

"The study by ITDP conducted in December 2024 assessed the public transport requirements of Maharashtra's urban areas. According to the Working Group on Urban Transport for the 12th Five-Year Plan recommendations by the Government of India in 2012, all cities with populations exceeding 2 lakh should have organised public transport systems. By this definition, there are 44 cities in the state with a total population of 5.6 crore people. Of these, only 14 cities currently operate formal public bus services.

Even in these 14 cities, the availability of buses falls far below the benchmark set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which recommends 40-60 buses per lakh population. In these 14 cities, the average is around 15 buses per lakh population. The analysis underscores a dire need for fleet expansion and new bus services.

A deeper dive

Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities: There are nine cities in Maharashtra, with populations of over 20 lakh. These cities need approximately a two-fold expansion of their bus fleets. For instance, Greater Mumbai currently operates around 3,600 buses but requires at least 8,000 to meet demand. Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad operate a fleet of 2,200 buses but need to double it to 4,500 to meet the demand.

Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities: There are 35 cities in Maharashtra with populations between 2 lakh and 20 lakh. They face an even greater shortfall, needing a 23-fold expansion in their fleets. For example, in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the current fleet is just 90 buses - a fraction of the 1,000 buses needed.

Limited impact of schemes

While the national government's PM E-Bus Sewa scheme aims to bolster bus services in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, it falls significantly short. The scheme's allocation of 1,950 e-buses for 23 cities in Maharashtra covers less than 10 per cent of the 12,700 buses required.

Impact on environment

The introduction of 24,000 new buses can have multifold positive impacts on Maharashtra's ecology and economy, apart from dramatically improving urban mobility and quality of life. The study found that introducing buses can remove a significant number of personal vehicles from the streets.

Transport body plans

MSRTC: The idea is to procure 2,640 new self-owned buses in 2025. Of these, about 150 will be procured for Thane region by January-end. MSRTC plans to procure 300 buses every month for bus depots across the state.

BEST: There is a plan to buy 2,650 electric buses in 2025-26, including 1,000 electric AC double-decker buses. BEST plans to expand its fleet to 8,000 electric buses by 2027.

What is ITDP

Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), headquartered in New York, works with cities to create healthy and liveable communities through quality public transport including e-mobility, safe spaces for walking and cycling, traffic reduction mechanisms, and people-centred policies. Team ITDP India includes architects, urban planners, researchers, and e-mobility and transport experts, who work on making visible improvements by providing cities with technical expertise, policy solutions, research publications, and training programmes.

Bus numbers

8700
Existing urban bus fleet size in Maharashtra

3450
Number of outdated urban buses due for retirement

5250
Existing buses that can be operated

24000
(approx.) Current shortage of buses