Delhi approves process for tenders for around 400 e-buses

The government plans to have 1,000 such buses in the city by mid-2022. It is part of a plan of the Aam Aadmi Party government to add 4,000 buses to the city’s fleet by the end of that year

The Delhi transport department has approved the process for tenders for around 400 e-buses to be included in the city’s fleet of buses by the year-end, an official said on Friday. “The tender is likely to be floated next week. Delhi has 300 e-buses,” said an official.

Representational Image. (HT file)

The government plans to have 1,000 such buses in the city by mid-2022. It is part of a plan of the Aam Aadmi Party government to add 4,000 buses to the city’s fleet by the end of that year. The overall plan includes standard floor and low floor buses -- both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned.

All these buses are supposed to comply with BS-VI emission standards and to be equipped with GPS devices, CCTV cameras, and panic buttons for enhancing the security of women commuters. The government has also set up a control room in Kashmere Gate for real-time tracking of its fleet.

The plan to procure e-buses is in line with the government’s electric vehicle (EV) policy notified in August last year. The EV policy says that 25% of all registered vehicles in Delhi by 2023 will be electric. It is part of the government’s long-term action plan against air pollution. The Centre also notified a similar scheme in 2019.

“With the proposed 400 new e-buses, Delhi is also likely to become the city with the largest fleet of e-buses. Currently, Pune has 600 e-buses,” said the official. Delhi has around 7,000 total buses in its public bus fleet.