Rajasthan stepped into the electric bus era as Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma flagged off 29 modern electric buses in Jaipur under the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa Yojana. During the same programme, held at Amar Jawan Jyoti, 18 electric buses were also launched in Bhilwara through video conferencing, taking the immediate count to 47 buses. The Chief Minister said the central scheme, started in August 2023, aims to make urban transport clean, safe and environment-friendly, with financial and technical support provided to states to promote electric mobility. He noted that electric buses would reduce pollution in cities and offer better public transport to ordinary citizens. Under the scheme, eight Rajasthan cities have been selected: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Bikaner, Bhilwara, Alwar and Ajmer. The Centre has sanctioned 675 electric buses for these eight cities, and with approval of 475 more, the state will receive a total of 1,150 electric buses. In the first phase, the target is to operate 675 buses by Diwali. The buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons and air conditioning, making them especially useful for women, students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The state government is also working to provide 555 electric buses for urban transport and 50 double-decker electric buses to boost tourism. The government claims the initiative will play an important role in achieving the Viksit Rajasthan 2047 goal. Before the event, the Chief Minister inspected an electric bus, interacted with its driver and conductor, and travelled in it from Amar Jawan Jyoti to the State Hangar.