Delhi: 320 New Electric Buses Join Fleet, Boosting Total To 1970

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday flagged off 320 electric buses in the city, taking their number to 1,970.

Saxena said the additions to the fleet would aid Delhi’s fight against pollution while Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot called it “an important milestone”.

“We are launching 320 electric buses. These will provide relief to the people of Delhi. There are plans to add more such buses. I feel that if pollution needs to be reduced in Delhi, public transport needs to be strengthened and this is a step in that direction,” Saxena said during the the flag-off event at Baansera.

“Our effort will be that the central and Delhi governments, which are working together on this, should take this ahead,” he added.

Gahlot, who was present at the event, said Delhi had the highest number of electric buses in India and the third highest in the world.

Later, addressing a press conference, he said the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet consisted of 7,683 buses.

“This is the highest number of buses in the DTC’s fleet. Even at the time of the Commonwealth Games, the fleet consisted of 5,500 buses. It is an important milestone,” he said.

These buses are not only environment friendly but also equipped with the latest safety and convenience features for passengers, Gahlot said.

“We are proud to have the highest number of electric buses in any Indian city and are dedicated to further expanding this fleet,” he added.

The DTC operates 4,536 buses — 2,966 CNG and 1,570 electric. The Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System operates 3,147 buses — 2,747 CNG and 400 electric.

Delhi operated 1,650 electric buses since January 2022 that collectively travelled more than 112 million kilometres and saved over 91,000 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Gahlot.

The national capital has the second-largest electric bus fleet in the world, after Chinese cities. With 2,267 electric buses, Santiago, Chile, has the largest fleet, he added.

The minister said the new buses would be stationed at the depots in Sukhdev Vihar, Kalkaji and Naraina.

“The induction of these buses means that we have achieved a target of having 25 per cent electric buses in the fleet,” he said.

Equipped with CCTV cameras and panic buttons, the buses are differently-abled friendly, Gahlot said.

of 2025, Delhi aims to have 10,480 buses, of which 80 per cent will be electric, he added.