Grappling with air pollution, Delhi govt plans to procure 500 e-buses

New Delhi: Grappling with the air pollution crisis in the city, the Delhi government has chalked out a short-term plan to procure 500 electric buses (e-buses), an official said.

These e-buses would not pollute the air. They would also boost the public transport services, a senior Delhi government official said.

As per the one-year plan, 500 low-floor, air-conditioned e-buses would be procured, a senior Delhi government official said, adding that the transport minister had met the Delhi Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) officials in this regard yesterday.

"The plan to have a fleet of 500 e-buses of two different sizes -- standard and medium -- is being considered currently," he said.

The plan was discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday, he added.

The funds to procure the e-buses would come from the Environmental Compensation Charge (ECC) and Environmental Ambient Air Fund, the official said.

He also asserted that there was no shortage of funds for augmenting the existing public transport services and added that ever since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was formed in the national capital, the budget for the transport sector had increased.

"The e-buses could not be procured due to the Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC) condition of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). It has recently decided to abolish the AMC and we hope that the buses will be procured soon," he added.