Delhi CM, LG flag off new batch of 500 e-buses, fleet strength now 1,300

The chief minister said also that a Mohalla service, which will look to provide last-mile connectivity, is expected to be launched by January

Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday jointly flagged off a new batch of 500 electric buses from the Indraprastha bus depot. With the addition of new buses, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) now has 1,300 e-buses — the largest such fleet in India.

Delhi LG VK Saxena, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at IP Depot in the city on Thursday. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

The new electric buses are air-conditioned and can run 225km on a full charge. These buses, which have an expected life of 12 years, also have ramps for the differently abled and can kneel for better accessibility, officials said.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Kejriwal said that, as per the Delhi government’s plan, the transport department aims to have a fleet of 10,480 buses by 2025, of which 80% will be electric. “The LG and I launched 500 new electric buses, and the city now has a fleet of 1,300 electric buses. This is the largest e-bus fleet operated by any city in the country… By 2025, we will have over 10,000 buses, 80% of which will be electric,” he said.

Saxena said, “These electric buses will go a long way in mitigating air pollution in the city, besides providing comfortable and safe transport to the people. Of the 1,500 e-buses being provided by the government of India under the FAME-II scheme, 921 are being provided with subsidy of ₹416.82 crore from the central government. For the other 579 buses, Delhi government is bearing the remaining subsidy of ₹262.04 crore.”

The chief minister said also that a Mohalla service, which will look to provide last-mile connectivity with the help of smaller buses, is expected to be launched by January.

Sharing some details of the new e-buses, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said, “We have been getting the 800 operational buses in phases over the last year and a half. By our calculations, these e-buses have saved 34,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide so far. This is a big relief in our effort to curb pollution in the Capital.”

Gahlot said that each of these buses have three CCTV cameras, rear parking assist cameras, GPS for live tracking, two-way communication with control rooms, disc brakes, a fire detection and suppression system, and panic buttons.

“The panic buttons have been upgraded so that there are two things happen once it is pressed —the CCTV cameras start a live feed that is displayed at the screen of the command centre, and the Delhi Police is immediately informed about the location of the bus. The driver is also notified, and he must stop the bus till the police arrive,” the minister added.

Experts welcomed the addition of the e-buses and said a similar model needs to be adopted by other cities to curb pollution. “Electrification and increasing public transport modal share are going to be key pieces in meeting India’s overall net zero targets and achieving national energy security. Delhi’s addition of e-buses will not only help move closer to achieving these targets, but also help the city in achieving better air quality and providing better mobility to its citizens,” said Sudeept Maiti, programme head-transport, WRI India.