Delhi gets 100 more electric buses, DTC fleet now at 400

Delhi already has 300 e-buses operating in the city, to which 1,500 more will be added by the end of this year.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has received a new batch of 100 electric buses under the Delhi government’s target to procure and run 1,500 such buses by the end of the year, Delhi Transport Corporation officials aware of the matter said on Friday. The Mayapuri depot was recently electrified to charge and accommodate the 100 e-buses.

As of now, DTC has about 40 bus depots with a fleet of 4,060 buses. (HT ARCHIVE)

Officials said that DTC received a fleet of six buses for trials on Delhi roads to test the condition last month. Once the trials were successful, the first batch arrived earlier this week.

Delhi already has 300 e-buses operating in the city, to which 1,500 more will be added by the end of this year, which will then bring the final number to 1,800.

“We have received the first 100 buses from and the next few batches are expected to arrive soon. These will run on various routes from the Mayapuri depot initially. As part of our plan to electrify the bus fleet of Delhi and reduce pollution, we will add about 1,500 buses by the end of this year,” said Ashish Kundra, Delhi transport secretary cum commissioner.

As of now, DTC has about 40 bus depots with a fleet of 4,060 buses, which include 1,256 AC low floor buses, 2,504 non-AC low floor buses and 300 low floor e-buses. Of the 40 depots, 10 have been electrified already.

Last year, DTC signed an agreement with a private company to run and maintain 1,500 12-metre low-floor AC electric buses with zero emission and no noise as part of the arrangement for a term of 12 years. Officials said that the next batch is expected to arrive soon, and the entire lot will arrive by November this year.

Another official from DTC said that routes will be finalised within this week and all other clearances will also be obtained from the traffic police and the transport department. The services will be launched as per the directions of Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot. Officials said that the new model has a higher charging capacity and one fully charged bus will be able to run for two shifts.

Read: 1/8 of Delhi Transport Corporation’s fleet set to go off roads

“We have already tested one prototype of the bus on route 73 from Hari Nagar Ghanta Ghar to Anand Vihar for an entire week as per mandate. It ran successfully on all parameters on full load. Since these are high-capacity buses, they can run for over 200km of the planned route across two shifts,” said a DTC official, requesting anonymity.

Officials added that initially these electric buses were being planned along routes that will connect Delhi University colleges and South Delhi like routes numbers 72, 234, and 522, along with the Mudrika route that covers the ring roads. Some of the major stops along Mudrika route include AIIMS, Lajpat Nagar, Sarai Kale Khan, ITO, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi University North Campus, Model Town, Azadpur Market, Shalimar Bagh, Punjabi Bagh, Britannia Factory, Rajouri Garden, Naraina, and Delhi University South Campus.

Other areas that the new e-bus routes are expected to cover include Patel Nagar, Mandi House, ITO, Delhi Secretariat, Patparganj, Anand Vihar, Lado Sarai, Saket, Chirag Delhi, Siri Fort, Defense Colony, Lodhi Colony, Karol Bagh, and East Patel Nagar.

The new buses have more space as compared to the existing e-buses, they are disabled-friendly and have features such as GPS, panic button, CCTV cameras, live tracking, and seats reserved for women, said a second official. The existing e-buses did not have live tracking, were less spacious, and had less charging capacity, officials added.

Read: 80% Delhi's bus fleet will run on electric by 2025: Kejriwal

In 2021, the Delhi government decided to only procure electric buses — new ones as well as to replace the fuel-run ones. Delhi government seeks to increase the strength of its electric bus fleet to8,280 by 2025 as part of the Delhi EV policy 2020 to cut down pollution levels.

Experts said that with the induction of the new buses, the city needs to keep with a robust charging mechanism which will enhance the fleet. “Delhi’s plan to add 100 more electric buses highlights the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation. A robust charging infrastructure now is imperative for successful scaling of e-bus operations. By expanding and enhancing charging infrastructure at the earliest, Delhi can ensure seamless operations, optimise efficiency, reduce pollution, and set an example for other cities,” said Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council of Clean Transport (ICCT).