Delhi to get 1,500 electric buses, deployment to start in July

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) board has given in-principle approval for the deployment of 1,500 electric buses in the national capital under an initiative of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), reports PTI. This will increase the fleet of electric buses in the national capital, where air pollution is a massive concern. The report further said that the DTC board has approved the engagement of 1,500 AC low-floor electric buses - 921 buses under the FAME-II scheme and 579 buses under the non-FAME-II category. The first lot of these electric buses are expected to hit the roads by July this year.

The procurement of these electric buses will be done under the CESL's Grand Challenge scheme, under which the EESL's subsidiary agency has proposed to deploy 5,450 single-decker and 130 double-decker electric buses in five metro cities across India in the first phase. These cities are Bangalore, Delhi, Surat, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The report claims that 579 buses under the procurement of the non-FAME-II scheme will require funding of ₹319.45 crore. DTC will also set up necessary electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the e-bus fleet.

This fleet of 1,500 electric buses will be parked across 12 depots of DTC, where operation and maintenance of these buses will also take place.

Earlier in January this year, CESL launched its biggest tender worth around ₹5,500 crore to procure as many as 5,580 electric buses, which include 130 electric double-decker buses as well. The move is aimed at promoting electric mobility in the country in an attempt to reduce vehicular emissions.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had said on the occasion that the Delhi government is committed to achieving 100 per cent electrification of buses.