Depots for DTC's upcoming e-buses getting ready
Depots for the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)'s electric buses, which would ply on the city roads from early 2022, are getting ready in the national capital.
DTC Managing Director, Ashish Kundra, shared two pictures of the newly built depots with its caption reading: "Depots for #electricbuses getting ready in #Delhi ! Public transport set to change".
Delhi Cabinet in March had approved a proposal for the engagement of 300 Low-Floor Fully Electric Air Conditioned buses by DTC under the Centre's 'Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India [FAME] Phase-II' Scheme.
DTC's Deputy Chief General Manager (Traffic & Public Relations), Ravinder Singh Minhas, had told IANS in September that Delhi will start getting its first 300 e-buses from January onwards as the tender for the same has matured.
Under the FAME scheme, the buses will be able to operate a minimum of 140 km in a single charge.
As per official sources, these buses will be controlled by DTC and operated by private entities. Under the arrangement, the operator will provide the driver and the DTC will depute its own conductor in the buses.
In August 2020, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had said the national capital will receive as many as 2,000 electric buses by the end of 2021. However, a few months ago, lack of infrastructure was cited as the reason behind the delay in its rollout.
Both the Delhi and Central governments are "actively" batting for greener and sustainable mode of transportation to "better tackle" the future challenges of environmental problems due to climate change.