PremiumDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured that the city will have nearly 300 electric buses by September this year and by November 2023, the national capital will have 1,800 such electric vehicles.
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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday flagged off 97 electric buses at Rajghat depot 1 in the national capital. With this, around 250 e-buses are plying on Delhi roads as CM Kejriwal had also flagged off 150 electric buses in May this year.
The chief minister also assured that the city will have nearly 300 electric buses by September this year and by November 2023, the national capital will have 1,800 such electric vehicles.
“By the end of 2025, there will be 8,180 electric buses in 10,380 total buses in Delhi and the city will have maximum number of e-buses in the country," Kejriwal said.
He also informed that the Delhi government is also undertaking rapid electrification of 55 bus depots for charging e-buses, adding that three have already electrified, 17 to be electrified by June 2023, and 35 by December 2023.
Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot was also present with the chief minister today.
Speaking about increasing women's participation in the development of city, Kejriwal stated that a total of 11 women were given the responsibility of bus driver on Tuesday, and 200 more women will be given this duty in the coming months.
“Delhi government is moving towards women empowerment. I am happy that the women of Delhi are working for the development of Delhi," he added.
Kejriwal, while flagging off 150 e-buses in May this year, had also offered free of cost travel for three days -- from May 24 to May 26 -- in the electric buses plying on the roads of Delhi.
The major routes on which these 150 electric buses run include Route No. 502 between Mori Gate and Mehrauli Terminal and the IP Depot -Connaught Place - Safdarjung - South Extension -Ashram - Jangpura -India Gate route.
The government also urged people to ride its e-buses, take a selfie, post it with the hashtag #IrideEbus on their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook handles. The top three entries will have a chance to win an iPad.
These buses emit zero smoke, have CCTV cameras for women protection, GPS, 10 panic buttons, ramps for differently abled, cutting-edge technology, no noise or pollution, air conditioning, etc.
(With inputs from agencies)