Delhi government has taken an important decision towards reducing air pollution in the capital and further strengthening the public transport system. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a clean, green and developed India, 2,800 new AC low-floor electric buses will be included in Delhi under Phase-I of the PM e-Drive scheme.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Said that in accordance with the vision of the Prime Minister, the Delhi government is strengthening public transport and expanding electric buses. He said that the government resolves to increase the public transport fleet to about 14,000 buses by the year 2028-29. These buses will start plying on the roads of Delhi from next year.
The decision to include these buses has been taken in the recent Delhi Cabinet meeting. The Chief Minister said that the induction of 2,800 zero-emission electric buses is an important step towards improving Delhi’s air as well as providing more convenient, modern and sustainable public transport to the citizens.
Emphasis on strengthening last-mile connectivity
He told that out of these 2,800 electric buses, 1,400 buses will be 12 meter long and 1,400 buses will be 9 meter long. The 9 meter long buses will be especially useful for operating on narrow roads and in rural areas. This will help in providing better last mile public transport facilities to the passengers beyond the main routes and strengthen last-mile connectivity.
According to Delhi Cabinet information, the government had sent its requirement of 2,800 electric buses to Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) last year. Later, based on the experience gained from operating Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) buses, it was decided to revise the requirement of buses to include equal numbers of 1,400 twelve meter and 1,400 nine meter buses. A nationwide competitive tender process was adopted by CESL for inducting 2,800 buses, which will help in ensuring operation of buses at competitive rates.
2800 electric buses will be launched by August 2028
According to the Chief Minister, a target has been set to introduce these modern buses on the roads of Delhi from the month of April next year. By August 2028, the entire fleet of buses will be included in the public transport system of the capital. For effective operation of buses and better route planning, rational restructuring of bus routes will be done with the help of IIT Delhi. Through this, the deployment of expanded electric bus fleet will be made more effective.
The use of Bus Management System (BMS) and Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETM) will help in monitoring, managing bus operations and making the ticketing system more effective.
The Chief Minister said the induction of 2,800 zero-emission electric buses will also strengthen the Delhi government’s aim to expand the public bus fleet to about 14,000 buses by 2028-29. On one hand, this will increase the availability of public transport in Delhi, on the other hand, it will promote clean energy based transport and will make a significant contribution towards improving the air quality of the capital.
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