New Delhi: Delhi will get 401 new nine-metre electric buses before mid-June under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Initiative (DEVI) to boost last-mile connectivity.
Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh stated that to strengthen the city’s public transport system and promote cleaner mobility, 401 new electric buses are being added.
The number will continue to increase in the coming months, he said.
“To support the people of Delhi and improve the city’s transport while contributing to a cleaner environment, we are committed to increasing the number of electric buses as promised,” he said.
Singh said that the new nine-metre electric buses will be launched between June 10 and 15.
Earlier this month, the government launched the DEVI buses, and on May 2, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated 400 new electric buses under the initiative.
DEVI buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, live tracking, panic buttons and motorised ramps for passengers with disabilities. They also feature retractable steps at a low height of 40 cm to make boarding and alighting easier.
According to official data, Delhi currently has a total of 1,895 electric buses in its public transport fleet.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had announced during her budget speech that urban transport projects will be implemented in Delhi with central funding to bolster the city’s public transport system.
“Around 5,500 buses will be maintained by the end of this year, and 11,000 buses will be on the roads by 2026. Bus routes will also be reevaluated to address loopholes in the system,” she had
said in the budget.
Delhi currently has over 2,000 electric buses. This includes around 1,800 buses under the DTC fleet and 400 under the DIMTS-Cluster scheme.