Delhi is set to augment its cluster fleet with an additional 200 electric buses in the coming year, bringing the total count to 1,500, officials announced on Friday.
Presently, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) manages 1,300 electric buses in the national capital, 500 of which were inaugurated earlier this month.
An official said, “The Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) oversees and administers the cluster buses. While the DTC fleet has already integrated electric buses, DIMTS is poised to receive an additional 200.”
“Currently, a hundred buses have been received, and the remainder are anticipated to arrive in subsequent batches. We foresee the arrival of another 100 buses, scheduled for inauguration by mid-January,” the official mentioned.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot later expressed that the inclusion of these new buses will mark another significant achievement for the city government.
“Under the guidance of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, we are set to achieve another milestone – the imminent induction of 200 new electric buses into the cluster fleet. Augmenting the existing 1,300 DTC buses, this expansion not only strengthens Delhi’s transportation system but also contributes significantly to our ongoing fight against pollution,” Gahlot informed.
“In total, approximately 3,000 electric buses will join the cluster bus fleet. Our objective is clear – to achieve an 80 per cent electric bus fleet by 2025, and we are steadily advancing toward this ambitious goal,” he said.
According to another official, DIMTS manages a fleet of 3,043 cluster buses, out of which 2,841 are currently operational.
“The DIMTS is set to receive an additional 3,160 new electric buses. The older ones are gradually being phased out, with 682 buses already decommissioned,” the official added.
The official also mentioned that DIMTS introduced 790 CNG-run buses, with 750 currently operational and operating on the city’s roads.
Cluster buses were introduced in Delhi to replace the Blue Line buses that were phased out in 2012.
By the conclusion of 2025, the total number of buses in Delhi is expected to reach 10,480, with 80 per cent of them being electric, as stated by Gahlot following the inauguration of 500 electric buses on December 14.
“We are aiming to surpass 8,000 electric buses by the end of 2025. Once the count crosses 8,000, Delhi will be counted among the select cities globally with the highest number of electric buses in operation,” he emphasised.
“The work orders for 6,000 electric buses have already been issued. Approximately 50 to 100 electric buses will be incorporated into the fleet each month,” he further added. (With inputs from PTI)
