Delhi government approves inclusion of 1,500 low-floor electric buses for its public

The Delhi government on Friday approved the inclusion of 1,500 low-floor electric buses in its public transport fleet, an official statement said.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided to allocate 10 sites to various companies for setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and battery replacement stations under the Delhi EV Policy 2020, it said.

The city government has approved the operation of 75 interstate buses on 11 routes across five states and one union territory.

The DTC board has decided to increase the stipend paid to women during training for hiring drivers on contract basis with HMV driving license from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 per month.

The board has already withdrawn the requirement to hold HMV driving licenses for at least three years for women seeking employment as bus drivers in its fleet, the statement said.

The 10 sites allotted to various service providers for setting up EV charging and battery swapping stations are Ambedkar Nagar Depot, Jal Bihar Terminal, Dilshad Garden Terminal, Karawal Nagar Terminal, Shadipur Depot, Mayapuri Depot, Bindabor Terminal. Bugs, and Rohini Depot-I.

Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) has identified four service providers through a competitive bidding process who will soon sign an agreement with DTC to set up EV charging / battery swapping stations at these locations.

The DTC board has decided to give policy approval for procurement of 75 (38 non-AC and 37 AC) CNG standard floor buses for interstate activities, it said.

The buses will run between Delhi-Rishikesh, Delhi-Haridwar, Delhi-Dehradun, Delhi-Haldwani, Delhi-Agra, Delhi-Bareilly on 11 routes across five states (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab) and Chandigarh. Delhi-Lucknow, Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Panipath and Delhi-Patiala, the statement said.