New Delhi: Taking a significant step toward sustainable urban mobility, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday flagged off 105 new orange DEVI (Delhi EV Inter-connector) electric buses and inaugurated the Sector A9 depot in Narela. The launch, held with fanfare, marks a continued push by the BJP government to modernise Delhi’s public transport and shift decisively toward electric mobility.
Calling the event a “milestone” in Delhi’s transport upgrade, Gupta said the newly built depot was completed within just 90 days. “This reflects the BJP government’s commitment to efficient governance and timely delivery,” she said, addressing the gathering. She emphasised that the move symbolised a transition to greener, more reliable transport solutions. In a sharp critique of the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, Gupta accused it of mismanaging Delhi’s transport infrastructure and leaving the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) in deep financial distress. “Buses are the city’s lifeline, but under the AAP, services were cut, corruption thrived, and Rs 65,000 crore in losses were incurred as per the CAG report,” she claimed. Gupta also alleged that AAP’s free bus travel scheme for women was riddled with corruption and that panic buttons in those buses were installed merely for optics.
The newly introduced electric buses, each nine metres long, feature air-conditioning, panic buttons, and real-time monitoring systems. Highlighting the transition to card-based ticketing, Gupta said, “AAP falsely claimed that women would lose access to free rides when we removed paper tickets. In reality, the digital shift was aimed at plugging leakages and ensuring accountability.”
Delhi Transport Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh, who joined Gupta at the launch, said the arrival of these buses had been long delayed due to the AAP government’s inaction. “These buses should have hit the streets last year. The BJP is now delivering on that stalled promise,” he stated.
The event also saw participation from Delhi BJP leader Yogender Chandolia, who dismissed AAP’s criticism that this was just a “rebranding” of existing assets. “If these buses were sanctioned by AAP, they would have been visible on roads already. These are entirely new, small-format buses suited for Delhi’s narrower lanes,” he said.
The newly deployed orange DEVI buses can accommodate 23 seated and 17 standing passengers. Officials confirmed that Delhi’s electric bus fleet, currently around 2,000, will continue to expand with a goal of full electrification by 2027.
“This is the Rekha Gupta model-clean, efficient, people-first public transport,” Chandolia concluded.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party strongly criticised the Delhi BJP government’s decision to paint the newly named ‘DEVI’ buses saffron, calling it a disrespectful move that could offend Hindu sentiments.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “All these ‘DEVI’ buses were originally Mohalla Buses. The BJP first renamed them and now wants to paint them saffron. As a Hindu, I find this decision objectionable.” He argued that public buses, prone to getting stained with “spit, paan, vomit and mucus,” should not be associated with religious symbolism. “Calling such buses ‘DEVI’ and painting them saffron will hurt Hindu faith. It’s simply unacceptable,” he said. Taking a dig at Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Bharadwaj remarked, “If she loves saffron so much, she should wear it every day and paint her house walls saffron. But public spaces are not for such symbolism.”
He added, “People enter buses wearing shoes, they spit out the windows, how can something like this be named after a goddess and be painted saffron?” Bharadwaj urged the government to reconsider the decision in respect of religious sentiments.