In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for conserving fuel and turning energy conservation into a mass movement amid the current global scenario, the Delhi government has decided to limit the use of official vehicles for departmental work.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Wednesday that all her Cabinet colleagues, BJP MLAs, public representatives, government departments and officials have also started minimizing vehicle usage as required.
She added that carpooling and public transport would be given priority during this period. In an appeal to the residents of the national capital, she urged people to make greater use of public transport and adopt carpooling to help save fuel.
The CM stated that the city already has a strong public transport network, with Metro and DTC bus services extending across the NCR region. If more people shift from private vehicles to Metro rail and public buses in the current scenario, it would not only help save fuel but also reduce traffic congestion and help curb air pollution.
She emphasized that national goals can only be achieved through public participation.
Recounting how the country had demonstrated discipline, collective responsibility, and cooperation during the Covid pandemic, Gupta said even small individual efforts can once again make a meaningful contribution in national interest.
The Chief Minister urged the people to use public transport whenever possible for commuting to offices, market visits, and daily travel, and to make carpooling a regular habit.
Highlighting the scale of Delhi Metro’s operations, Gupta said it has become the lifeline of Delhi-NCR and now spans a network of 416 kilometres. The DMRC currently operates more than 4,500 trips daily through 343 trains and 303 stations, serving over 65 lakh passengers every day across Delhi as well as Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Bahadurgarh, she added.
She said the government is steadily expanding and modernising the city’s public transport infrastructure. Currently, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) operates a fleet of 6,300 active buses, including 4,538 electric buses.
She stated that fuel conservation is not merely an economic necessity, but a collective responsibility linked to national interest and environmental protection.
Meanwhile, following the PM’s appeal, Delhi Transport Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh travelled by a DTC bus to promote public transport. He said cabinet ministers will also travel by bus and metro rail to assess commuter concerns and ensure timely resolution of issues, based on public feedback.
Similarly, Minister Kapil Mishra travelled by Metro and appealed to people to adopt public transport instead of private vehicles. He added that all ministers and officers of the Delhi government shall make every possible effort to save fuel, urging that amid the current global crisis, everyone must come forward to fulfil their duty to the nation by conserving energy.
Delhi Minister Ashish Sood was also seen travelling by Metro on Tuesday while on his way to an education department program in East Delhi, where he met school heads to discuss various important issues such as student safety, the importance of mental health, and quality education, etc.