Delhi CM sends proposal to Centre for immediate procurement of 3,330 e-buses

New Delhi, Jan 10 (LatestNewsX) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday that the Transport Department officials have submitted a detailed proposal to the Central Government’s agency, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), for the immediate procurement of 3,330 additional electric buses.

The Chief Minister described the proposal as the Delhi government’s fresh step towards making the capital’s transport system completely ‘green’ and delivering a decisive blow against pollution.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta made it clear that ensuring clean air in Delhi and providing citizens with a modern, convenient and affordable public transport system are among her government’s highest priorities.

With this objective, following a recent high-level meeting with CESL, it was decided to increase Delhi’s bus allocation under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme (Phase-2).

According to the Chief Minister, after reassessing requirements, demand has been placed for buses of different sizes to ensure connectivity from narrow streets to major arterial roads.

The Transport Department has sought a total of 3,330 buses, comprising 500 buses of 7 metres, 2,330 buses of 9 metres and 500 buses of 12 metres. All buses will be low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses.

The 7-metre buses will serve narrow streets and provide last-mile connectivity to residents. The 9-metre buses will operate on smaller roads and as feeder services. The 12-metre buses will be deployed on main routes and heavily congested corridors.

Chief Minister Gupta stated that her government has requested the Central Government and the Ministry of Heavy Industries to include this additional requirement (separate from the already allotted quota of 2,800 buses) under the subsidy model.

She said that if any technical hurdles arise with regard to subsidies, the Delhi Government is fully prepared to bear the cost itself to ensure that there is no delay in procuring the buses.

The Chief Minister believes that these 3,330 new buses are not merely a mode of public transport, but will also form the foundation of Delhi’s green transition. Their induction will reduce citizens’ dependence on private vehicles and lead to a significant reduction in harmful emissions.

Low-floor buses will make travel safer and more comfortable for women passengers and senior citizens. The Delhi Government aims to ensure that, in the coming months, Delhi’s bus fleet becomes one of the largest and cleanest electric bus networks in the world.

At present, a total of 5,336 government buses are operating in Delhi, of which 3,535 are electric buses. These include 1,162 nine-metre DEVI buses, 2,273 twelve-metre buses and 100 feeder buses.

According to the Chief Minister, more than 5,000 electric buses will be operating on Delhi’s roads by March this year. Her resolve is that by the end of 2026, 7,000 electric buses will be made available to the people of Delhi.

After the induction of 2,800 buses under PM E-DRIVE (Phase-1), the total number of buses in Delhi will rise to 10,430, and following the induction of 3,330 buses under PM E-DRIVE (Phase-2), the total fleet will increase to 13,760 buses, said a statement.

rch/uk