NEW DELHI: The Delhi government approved the procurement of 1,000 CNG low-floor buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on Thursday.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal instructed addition of 4,000 new buses including 1,000 standard floor cluster buses, 1,000 electric buses, 1,000 low floor buses besides the 1,000 CNG low floor buses — taking the total number of buses in the national capital to 9,500 by May 2020.
Delhi has around 5,500 state-run buses plying on the roads under the cluster scheme and DTC. The last time the buses were added in DTC was during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The development comes in the backdrop of the proposal of AAP government to make Metro travel free for women passengers across the city.
The government was criticised by the opposition for acute shortage of public transport in the capital amid the former’s promise of free metro commute for women.
“The Cabinet decisions taken today are a major boost for public transport. Delhi will have 9,500 buses plying on the roads by May 2020 with an addition of 4,000 buses in the current fleet of Delhi’s public transport. The first batch of the buses will start coming in July 2019 and it will continue till May 2020,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said. At present, there are around 5,500 public transport buses in the city.
Buses to be on roads next April
Giving details, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said the tender for 1,000 electric buses will open in August. The buses will start arriving from January and the entire batch will be on the city roads by April next year