Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has, at its Board Meeting, approved bids for procurement of 300 air-conditioned low-floor electric buses.
These 300 electric buses, after approval by the Cabinet, will start arriving in October 2021, and the induction of the entire fleet will be completed by February 2022.
These 300 low-floor 12-meter BS-VI-compliant air-conditioned buses would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like real-time passenger information system, CCTVs, panic buttons, GPS, and other facilities, along with being differently-able-friendly.
Further, to ensure passenger safety, especially of women, these buses would be integrated with the newly-built Command and Control Centre at Kashmiri Gate, an official release said.
Earlier, DTC had floated an open tender for the procurement of 300 low-floor 12-meter full electric air-conditioned buses in December 2020. Prior to this, two tenders were short-closed owing to various reasons.
DTC has already issued Letter of Award in respect of 1,000 low-floor AC buses (BS-VI compliant) and the buses will start arriving in May 2021. The entire fleet of 1,000 CNG buses is likely to be inducted by September 2021.
With the induction of these 1,000 CNG buses and 300 electric buses, DTC will achieve a total fleet strength of 5,060.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who chaired the Board meeting, said, “This decision comes a few months into Delhi Government successfully launching the Delhi EV Policy and the ongoing full-fledged awareness campaign Switch Delhi encouraging Delhiites to shift to EV. This year will see a thousand new buses being added in DTC and close to 600 new electric buses inducted under the Cluster scheme too. With the arrival of these 300 electric buses, Delhi will take its first huge leap to its dream of fully electric public transport in the city.”