Mumbai faces a critical bus shortage, with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) estimating that Greater Mumbai requires around 8,000 buses to meet its transportation demands. However, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) currently operates a fleet of only about 3,000 buses, leaving a significant gap. This translates to just around 27 buses per lakh population in Mumbai, far below the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) guideline of 60 buses per lakhs.
Furthermore, the report also reveals that urban areas across Maharashtra are also facing shortage of buses.The study underscores urgent need for at least 28,800 buses to meet the mobility demands of 5.6 crore residents across 44 cities in the state. However, as CIRT report 2022, bus fleet stands at just 8,700, with approximately 3,500 buses nearing the end of their operational life. This leaves a critical shortfall of 24,000 buses, including replacements for retiring vehicles.
Urban Areas Severely Under-Served
The ITDP study, conducted in December 2024, assessed the public transport requirements across Maharashtra’s urban areas. According to recommendations by the Government of India’s Working Group on Urban Transport under the 12th Five-Year Plan, cities with populations exceeding two lakh should have organized public transport systems. However, only 14 out of the 44 cities in Maharashtra currently operate formal public bus services, leaving 30 cities without any bus network.
Even in the 14 cities with bus services, the availability of buses is alarmingly low, averaging just 15 buses per lakh population compared to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) guideline of 40-60 buses per lakh. The study calls for urgent fleet expansion and the establishment of bus services in unserved cities.
The analysis also highlighted stark disparities in bus availability across city tiers:
Tier 1 and Tier 2 Cities:
Maharashtra’s nine largest cities, including Greater Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, require a twofold increase in bus fleets. For instance, Currently Mumbai operates nearly ,3000 buses but needs 8,000 to meet current demand. Similarly, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad need to double their fleet from 2,200 to 4,500 buses.
Tier 3 and Tier 4 Cities:
In the state’s 35 smaller cities, with populations between 2 and 20 lakh, the shortfall is even greater. These cities require a 23-fold increase in bus fleets. For example, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar currently has just 90 buses, far below the 1,000 needed to meet demand.
Limited Impact of Existing Schemes
“The national PM E-Bus Sewa scheme has allocated 1,950 e-buses to 23 cities in Maharashtra. However, this covers less than 10% of the total requirement of 12,700 buses, leaving a massive gap in urban transport infrastructure” stated the report.
A Path to Cleaner Air, Fewer Cars, and More Jobs.
Expanding Maharashtra’s bus fleet by 24,000 can have transformative impacts. According to ITDP, this could
remove 19 lakh cars and 30 lakh two-wheeler trips from roads daily, reducing congestion. Cut CO2 emissions by nearly 30,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to planting and nurturing nearly 5 lakh trees over 10 years.
Create 1.5 lakh jobs in the public transport sector.
Provide high-quality, affordable public transport to over 5 crore citizens, significantly improving mobility and quality of life.
“Introducing 24,000 new buses can drastically reduce air pollution and make our cities more livable,” said Vaishali Singh, Programme Manager for Transport Systems and Electric Mobility at ITDP India.
