Earlier, Delhi had already incorporated 800 electric buses into its transportation network in January 2022. 
Special 
Earlier, Delhi had already incorporated 800 electric buses into its transportation network in January 2022. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday jointly launched 500 electric buses, significantly boosting the capital's fleet of electric public transportation. This move brings the total number of electric buses in New Delhi to 1,300.
Expressing his satisfaction with the development, Kejriwal commended the residents of Delhi and extended gratitude to LG Vinai Kumar Saxena for his presence at the event. Kejriwal proudly declared Delhi as the leading city in the country in terms of the sheer number of electric buses now in operation.
He said, "Today, 500 more electric buses have been included in the fleet of the Transport Department. For this, I congratulate the people of Delhi. Now, Delhi has 1300 electric buses, making Delhi number one in terms of electric buses in the country. Our efforts to strengthen Delhi's transportation system will continue."
CM Arvind Kejriwal shared a clip from this occasion on his 'X' (erstwhile Twitter) quoting, "Today, with Hon'ble Lt. Governor, we initiated the introduction of 500 new electric buses in Delhi. Now, Delhi has 1300 electric buses, the most in the country. Our goal by 2025 is to have a total of 8000 electric buses. By then, there will be more than 10,000 buses in Delhi, out of which 80 per cent will be electric. Our fantastic electric buses are becoming the new identity of Delhi."
During the inauguration ceremony, LG VK Saxena and CM Kejriwal personally inspected the state-of-the-art features incorporated in the new electric buses. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot provided a comprehensive briefing on the advanced amenities present in the buses. Subsequently, the buses were ceremoniously flagged off, with the presence of key officials, including Transport Commissioner Ashish Kundra.
Delhi Transport Minister mentioned, “As per the various reports and Manuals, a CNG bus emits 800 grams of Carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre. This means that an electric bus saves 800 grams of CO2 emission in its run of a kilometre. These buses of the Delhi Government, travel a minimum of 200 kilometres; and in a year these buses travel approximately 70,000 kilometres. This means that in a year, a bus emits 56 tonnes of Carbon dioxide.”
Kailash Gahlot mentioned, “These buses are 100% electric, with zero smoke emission. This means no contribution to pollution. These buses are fully air conditioned and passengers have given excellent feedback concerning its AC during summers especially. These buses are comfortable and convenient to travel. Keeping the safety and security of the passengers in mind, these buses are equipped with a minimum of 3 CCTV cameras, there's a rear camera to help the driver. Each bus has a GPS navigation system through which live tracking is being ensured which is linked to our command centre. Every bus has a panic on every 2 seats so that if any passenger feels uncomfortable can press it. This panic has two functions, one is relaying a CCTV camera at our command centre, so officers sitting at the command centre can see what's happening within that bus. Additionally, its location and feed also reach the Delhi Police. After pressing the panic button, the bus driver has to stop the bus. Command centre officers inquire with the driver.”
The electric buses come with features such as low-floor AC for the convenience of differently-abled individuals, free tickets for women, smoke and noise-free, digital ticketing facilities, buses equipped with GPS, CCTV, and panic buttons.
The Delhi Transport Minister further outlined an ambitious vision to transform the entire bus fleet into electric buses by 2025. Anticipating a total of 10,480 buses in the capital by the end of 2025, with 80 per cent being electric, the plan seeks to surpass 8,000 electric buses, elevating Delhi to the ranks of global cities boasting the highest electric bus numbers. With work orders for 6,000 e-buses already issued, the capital anticipates a steady addition of 50 to 100 electric buses each month towards this green transition.
Earlier, Delhi had already incorporated 800 electric buses into its transportation network in January 2022. This led to a substantial reduction of over 34,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. These electric buses have collectively traversed distances exceeding 42 lakh kilometers.
Previously, the Supreme Court emphasised the need of ending crop residue burning, which degrades air quality in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), and urged state governments to take action to reduce pollution.
Copyright©2025 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today
