Mangaluru to get 100 government electric buses under PM E-Bus Sewa scheme

Mangaluru to get 100 government electric buses under PM E-Bus Sewa scheme

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 27, 2026: The Mangalore KSRTC division has been allocated 100 electric buses under the Central government’s PM E-Bus Sewa scheme. The buses are planned for operation on local and regional routes, including services to Udupi, Moodbidri and Mangaluru International Airport.

According to the routes currently proposed by KSRTC, 10 electric buses will operate between State Bank and Udupi via Surathkal, Mulki and Padubidri. Another 10 buses are proposed for the Mangaluru-Moodbidri route via Vamanjoor, Gurupura and Kaikamba.

KSRTC’s bus service to Mangaluru International Airport has currently been suspended. With the introduction of electric buses, two buses are proposed to operate on the airport route. Four buses are also planned for services to Padil, where the Deputy Commissioner’s office has been shifted.

Tenders have been invited for constructing charging stations and depots. Several agencies have shown interest, and the process is expected to be finalised soon. Kuntikana in Mangaluru and Balepuni have been identified as depot locations, with charging facilities to be established at both sites. Each depot will have parking space for 50 buses.

Local routes to be prioritised

The electric buses can travel around 150 to 200 km on a single charge and require about 1.5 to two hours for a full recharge. Hence, operating them on long-distance routes such as Mangaluru-Bengaluru and Mangaluru-Mysuru is not considered feasible. KSRTC plans to initially deploy the buses on local routes.

The final routes will be decided once the electric buses are formally allotted to the Mangalore KSRTC division.

Buses under GCC model

Under the PM E-Bus Sewa scheme, the 100 electric buses will be provided to the Mangalore KSRTC division under a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model in a 60:40 ratio.

“The process of implementing the PM E-Bus Sewa scheme in Karnataka is currently underway. Once deployed, the electric buses will operate on various routes under the Mangalore division,” Transport Minister B S Suresh said.