'Mumbai-Delhi Expressway first phase by this Diwali'

MUMBAI: Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the first phase of Mumbai-Delhi Expressway between Delhi-Jaipur will be completed by Diwali. The expressway will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Delhi to 12 hours.
Gadkari hoped that in three years, an electric bus will be started between Mumbai and Delhi. He was here to inaugurate the first inter-city 43-seater electric bus service between Mumbai and Pune, to be operated by Prasanna Purple.The bus will travel 300km on single charge and can run at a speed of 100kmph. However, its speed has been capped to 80kmph for the Mumbai-Pune corridor.
Gadkar plans to travel to Sweden to see if e-highways could be implemented. He said corporations and state governments, besides private operators, will launch 10,000 e-buses in a phased manner. "The transport sector is changing with technology and novel start-ups. We are trying to make it more cost-effective. E-buses are cheaper to operate. Ticket rates, along with pollution, will also decrease," he said.