Delhi gets another 350 electric buses, overall number increases to 1,650

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday flagged off 350 electric buses, taking the number of such buses in the national capital to 1,650.

The Delhi chief minister said that the capital has the highest number of electric buses plying on its roads in the country. "Today 350 buses have been flagged off. Now, 1,650 electric buses are plying in Delhi. Delhi has now become the city with the maximum number of electric buses in the country," he said.

"This step will play a great role in curbing pollution in Delhi. Such steps will be taken in the future as well," said Delhi Lieutenant Governor.

In 2021, the Delhi government decided to only procure electric buses. It seeks to increase the strength of its fleet to 11,000 and to ensure that 80 per cent of all public buses are electric by 2025-26 as part of plans to cut down pollution levels.

Vehicular emissions contributed around 9 per cent of the PM10 load and around 20 per cent of the PM2.5 load in Delhi, according to a 2016 Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur study. When inhaled, particulate matter or PM can cause serious health problems.

The AAP government in Delhi also aims to phase out CNG buses. Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) switched over to CNG-run buses from diesel vehicles in April 2002, following a 1998 Supreme Court order. No vehicle over 15 years old can operate in the national capital.