Shruti Suman
Attention residents of Delhi! In a move towards environmental sustainability, the city is set to introduce an additional 500 electric buses to its transportation system. These buses, part of the Central government’s FAME II scheme, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena at IP Depot on Thursday.
Officials highlight that this marks the most substantial one-time addition in recent history. Since January 2022, Delhi has already seen 800 electric buses covering over 42 million kilometers, resulting in a reduction of more than 34,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. With the introduction of these new buses, Delhi will boast a total of 1,300 electric buses, the highest number in any Indian city.
Looking ahead, the city aims to have a fleet of 10,480 buses by 2025, with electric buses constituting 80 percent of the total. This ambitious plan is projected to annually reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.67 lakh tonnes.
The features of the new Electric DTC Buses include disability-friendly design, air-conditioning, zero emissions of smoke and noise, as well as the integration of GPS, CCTVs, and panic buttons. Notably, the city is gradually phasing out old low-floor buses in favor of sustainable and cleaner transportation options, with the goal of almost entirely replacing them by 2025, according to officials.
