Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot flagged off 350 new electric buses on Wednesday, significantly boosting the city's public transportation system and environmental efforts. This launch brings the total number of electric buses in the DTC fleet to 1650.
Talking to reporters after the flag-off Saxena said, These buses will contribute in a huge way in combating pollution. I am hopeful that we will be able to stop the pollution with these steps. Kejriwal said with the addition of these 350 buses, Delhi has become the first city in the country to have such a high number of electric buses.
In 2021, the Delhi government made a commitment to exclusively acquire electric buses. It aims to expand its fleet to 11,000 vehicles and ensure that 80% of all public buses are electric by 2025-26, as part of its strategy to reduce pollution levels.
According to a 2016 study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, vehicular emissions accounted for approximately 9% of the PM10 load and about 20% of the PM2.5 load in Delhi. Inhalation of particulate matter (PM) can lead to severe health issues.