Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal flags off India-made AC low-floor electric bus, 300 more planned

Delhi Government aims to induct more than 300 electric buses in Delhi Transport Corporation fleet by April 2022, with first 50 buses planned by next month.

DTC electric bus

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has flagged off electric bus service in the capital by inaugurating its first electric bus. Inducted by Delhi Transport Corporation and made by JBM Auto, the electric bus services will be available for general public starting today (January 17). DTC plans to introduce fifty electric buses by the second week of February, and 300 more are likely to arrive by April, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot earlier said.

सभी दिल्लीवासियों को बधाई।

आज से दिल्ली की सड़कों पर पहली इलेक्ट्रिक बस चलनी शुरू हो गई है। DTC के बेड़े में जल्द ही 300 इलेक्ट्रिक बसें जुड़ेंगी।

आप भी अपने वाहन को इलेक्ट्रिक में स्विच कर प्रदूषण के ख़िलाफ़ इस जंग में अपना योगदान ज़रूर दें। pic.twitter.com/7M2nTuvnsc — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 17, 2022

Arvind Kejriwal, while inaugurating the bus service, said "It's an imp measure to control pollution; 300 such E-buses will start till April, the target is 2000. It'll cover a minimum distance of 120km; charging points are being arranged." Last week, CM Kejriwal inaugurated 100 new AC CNG buses at Rajghat.

Besides being disabled-friendly, these new low-floor electric AC buses, like their CNG counterparts are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like a real-time passenger information system, CCTVs, panic buttons and GPS, among others.

In early January, JBM Auto, also the maker of Delhi's CNG buses handed over the first prototype of electric bus to DTC, with new blue livery denoting clean energy. "Congrats Delhi! After a long wait, prototype of DTC's first 100% Electric bus has reached Delhi!" said Gahlot.

DTC cluster now gets three low floor buses for public - Red one denoting AC low floor buses, green denoting low floor buses and blue denoting AC low floor CNG and AC buses. In November 2021, the Delhi Cabinet had approved the induction of 190 low-floor AC CNG buses under its cluster scheme.