Delhi to get 2000 new CNG buses

The Delhi government’s transport department, after getting the go-ahead from the chief minister has announced a rollout plan to procure 2,000 CNG buses and electric buses that will provide last mile connectivity with metro rail stations. The government will procure 1,000 buses each for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the cluster scheme operated by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System. The government is also planning to induct standard-sized electric buses to run on longer routes and midi- or mini-sized electric buses to link residential areas with Delhi Metro station within a radius of 5km. According to a government official, the capital cost of electric buses is very high and they are trying to figure out ways to cover the gap of cost between electric and CNG buses. A capital subsidy will be provided by the government for the procurement of buses. While the requirement of public transport buses in Delhi is estimated to 11,000, it currently has slightly more than 5,500 buses. Delhi’s transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that the transport department has been instructed to complete the rollout of these buses within a year.