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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday flagged off 97 electric buses from Rajghat depot. “We are phasing out all old polluting buses gradually and replacing them with e-buses. 153 e-buses are already plying on roads, 50 more buses will be added by September and the total count of e-buses will increase to 300,” said the CM, as he flagged off the second batch.
“People have seen world-class education and health models. It’s time to transform Delhi’s transport sector into a model for the world to reckon with,” he added.
He said the AAP government will study the transport model of different countries: “Many countries have very modern transport systems. We will take a page out of their book and develop the most effective and efficient transport model in Delhi.”
The CM further said that by November 2023, 1,500 more electric buses will be inducted which will take the total to 1,800. By 2023, Delhi will become the first city to have the highest e-buses in the country, he said.
“By the end of 2025, the capital’s fleet will increase to 10,380 and around 80% — that is 8,180 will be electric,” Kejriwal said, adding that by 2023, the city will have 55 electric depots and by 2025, there will be 18,000 charging points in Delhi.
Currently, Delhi has three depots under the transport department. The CM further said the government has appointed 11 women bus drivers for the first time and 200 more women will be appointed in the coming months.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who was also present at the inaugural event, said, “This is a historic moment for Delhi, and is a befitting reply to all those who used to say that the DTC is running in loss and will be sold to private players/companies. The 153 e-buses that were inaugurated in May have already completed a 27-lakh-km journey. Now, Delhi has the largest number of e-buses in the entire country.”
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Delhi’s current share of electric buses is 3.4% of the total 7,373 buses.
The e-buses will take 42 minutes to fully charge. They are also differently abled friendly and equipped with features like CCTVs, panic buttons, GPS, digital ticketing system, live video streaming for emergency situations, fire detection and suppression system. They are also BS-VI compliant.
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