CM Kejriwal flags off 97 e-buses, says 8,000 in pipeline
New Delhi: In a bid to scale up the electric bus revolution in the Capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged off 97 high-tech electric buses from the Rajghat Depot on Wednesday. The CM also announced that 8,000 e-buses are in the pipeline to arrive by 2025 and by November 2023, Delhi will have the highest number of e-buses in India with 1,800 e-buses.
These electric buses were formally inducted into Delhi's public bus fleet at a ceremony held at Rajghat Depot-II Wednesday. The event began with the inauguration of bus charging stations by the Chief Minister in the presence of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.
As per CM Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi government is phasing out old, polluting buses and replacing them with electric buses. After developing world class education and healthcare models in the Capital, the government is now working towards transforming Delhi's transport sector into a model for the world to reckon with.
Kejriwal said, " Many countries have very modern transport systems. We will take a page out of their book and develop the most effective and efficient transport model in Delhi. 153 e-buses are already plying on the roads of Delhi, our new fleet of 97 will take the number to 250; 50 more to be added by September. By November 2023, 1,500 more electric buses will be acquired to take the number of e-buses to 1,800; Delhi will soon boast of the highest number of electric buses in any Indian city. By the end of 2025, the number of buses in Delhi will increase to 10,380 of which about 80 per cent (8,180) will be electric buses."
Kejriwal further added, "Yesterday, 11 women bus drivers joined our team after receiving bus driving training at our institute. I congratulate all of them. I am personally very delighted to see our sisters take charge of the wheels of Delhi. In the coming times, 200 more women will be trained as bus drivers and join us very soon."
On the occasion, transport minister Ghelot said, "Under the visionary leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, the public transport in Delhi has achieved a significant milestone today. With today's induction of 97 electric buses, Delhi now has 250 electric buses which makes 3.4 per cent of total buses in the public ransportation fleet. Delhi will add 7,930 more electric buses on Delhi's roads taking this share to 80 per cent by 2025. We are committed to make Delhi's public transport highly reliable and pollution free for all citizens of Delhi."
