CM adds muscle to Delhi’s EV transport, flags off 300 new electric buses; fleet now 4,338

Adding momentum to the national capital’s environment-friendly transportation ecosystem, 300 new electric buses were rolled out from the Indraprastha Bus Depot and dedicated to the public by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday.

According to CM Gupta, with the addition of the new e-buses, the total number of the city’s electric bus fleet has now risen to 4,338, making Delhi the city with the largest electric bus fleet.

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These modern buses are equipped with features such as CCTV, panic buttons, real-time tracking, and are divyang-friendly.

These buses are safer, and make the commute for the people more comfortable and eco-friendly at the same time, the CM said.

The government aims to expand the electric bus fleet to 14,000 by 2028-29, officials said.

The move is expected to strengthen the city’s push towards green mobility while making travel more convenient by enhancing connectivity at a faster pace.

According to the Chief Minister, more than 2,000 electric buses have been added to the Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) fleet over the past year.

“To make public transport completely emission-free, we will switch the entire DTC fleet to EVs,” CM Gupta said.

Notably, on the same occasion, Delhi also launched a new inter-state bus service between Nanaksar and Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh). The foundation stone for a new DTC office building was also laid.

She also outlined key measures, including the modernisation of bus depots, redevelopment of ISBTs, construction of DTC offices, establishment of automated testing stations, and strengthening of the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) system.

Gupta added that financial liabilities inherited from previous regimes are also being cleared in a responsible manner to bolster the corporation.

Alongside these developments, the EV incentive portal, which had been closed since 2023, has been restarted. Pending subsidies worth Rs 24 crore have been disbursed directly to around 12,877 beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). On the occasion, Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh said that the government led by CM Rekha Gupta is continuously working to deliver on all promises made to the citizens of the national capital by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government.

“Whether it is the induction of new EV buses, revival of inter-state bus services that were earlier discontinued, or several other facilities, the government is making all efforts to deliver on its commitments,” he said.

Taking a dig at the previous regime, Dr Singh said it had pushed DTC into losses and affected its functioning. However, he added that the present government has initiated steps for its revival and expressed confidence that the department will soon be in a better position.

MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah and senior officials of the transport department were also present on the occasion.