The second edition of Prawaas mobility conference concluded on a high note today at CIDCO Convention and Exhibition Center, Navi Mumbai. Organized by Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI), the event brought together operators, OEMs, policymakers, thought leaders and industry captains on the same platform to redefine passenger mobility in the country.
In his keynote address, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India said, “I am happy to be here amongst the Prawaas family. The initiative taken by BOCI to bring all public mobility stakeholders together on one platform is commendable. As a government, we stand for simplification of processes, transparency and a corruption free system. Online registration of vehicles, one nation one permit, amendment in Motor Vehicle Act to remove education qualification criteria, subsidies for electric vehicles and providing better infrastructure like bus-ports will revolutionize public transport.”
“We are committed towards the environment and believe that electric vehicles will lead the way forward. However, there are cost and infrastructure constraints which need to be considered. Biofuel made from ethanol has yielded great results in my constituency in Nagpur and we have decided to convert all our public buses to biofuel. This has not only helped the city environment and transport but has also provided an additional source of income to the farmers. The central government is committed towards better passenger mobility and we will work with state governments to realize this goal.” He added.
The event has taken giant strides since inception two years ago and has become the most sought-after platform for all things related to public transport. This year the business exhibition had over 150 marquee exhibitors, encompassing national, international brands and pathbreaking startups providing passenger mobility solutions.
Mr. Prasanna Patwardhan, President BOCI, said, “It is important to shift our focus from ‘Moving Vehicles’ to ‘Moving People’. This will depend upon how government transforms Public Transport. Leading nations have minimum 6 buses for 1000 passengers while in India it is lower than 1 Bus per 1000 passenger. One bus creates twenty direct & indirect jobs. Compared to the international norm, we require at least thirty lakh more buses, which can be achieved only with increased private sector participation. The results of these efforts will have a huge impact on GDP and will create employment for at least fifty million Indians in the next five years. Today over 80% Public transport on Roads is provided by BOCI members with combined fleet strength of about 15 Lakh buses and 11 lakh cars. There is an urgent need for the Central and State governments to accord top priority to Bus Transport and create conducive ecosystem that will bring ease of travel to 1.3 Billion People.”
The final day saw some charged discussions on Accelerating Electric Mobility in India. The session was chaired by Mr. Amit Bhat, Director of Integrated Urban Transport, WRI India and Mr. Ravi Pandit, Co-founder, Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer, KPIT. The speakers iterated that future of mobility is electric. There are around 130 million electric vehicles expected to hit the roads globally by 2030. In India some of the biggest constraints remain initial investment, charging infrastructure, incumbent transport system and local manufacturing and serviceability. The panel however agreed that despite challenges, India’s public mobility system makeover is taking place at a rapid pace. With collaboration and collective efforts, the sector is poised for exponential growth.
The 2nd edition of Prawaas concluded with the awards ceremony and valedictory speech by Hon’ble Minister, heavy industries and public enterprises, Government of India, Shri Arvind G Sawant. While discussing the road ahead he mentioned that Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi has entrusted him with the ministry concerned with vehicles which is a big responsibility.
He further mentioned that “As a consumer I have a different experiences, my life has gone in city buses and state buses and the days have changed now and beauty is added to the buses and now we need to look at safety of the passengers which is the responsibility of the private operator as well as the government. PRAWAAS as rightly pointed out is a journey and for that you need PRAWAASIS and they will not come to you until they find their journey SAFE, SMART AND SUSTAINABLE.”
Further he said that the government will give Subsidies to buses, 4 wheelers and to 2 wheelers, we have reduced the GST from 12% to 5% for EV’s, we have removed the cess which was 22%. 40% subsidy to those who will go for Electrical buses.
After the Paris agreement the world is worried about the change of climate hence we need to think about green initiatives and address the issue with the disposal of batteries, he added “We must think about e-waste, what is the plan for battery waste? lithium is hazardous an if you invest money in vehicles which are good looking, we need to think of sustainability as well. We need to make a pollution free country. Roads and congestion is an issue but pollution is a much more serious issue. We need charging stations, we need power for power station, make use of solar, renewable energy and we also need to think of batteries that can sustain for 500km run”.
The session concluded by vote of thanks by Mr. Harsh Kotak
About BOCI
Bus Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) was constituted on 4th February 2016. BOCI is a non-government, not-for-profit, Passenger transport industry-led and managed organization that plays a proactive role in India’s development process. The organization promotes, encourages, co-ordinates, safe and secure passenger transport by coach and buses within India and its nearby countries. It acts as interface between thought leaders to enhance efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for its members by providing range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. BOCI provides a platform for consensus building and networking on key issues amongst its members. The organization brings in all State associations and Unions under one umbrella to achieve better coordination and confidence by establishing a system of Operator accreditation.
