Delhi CM Kejriwal to inaugurate operation of India's first electric bus today

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to flag off Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC’s) first electric bus today. The ceremony will take place at DTC’s Indraprastha’s depot at 12 noon.

Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot will be present on the occasion. The electric buses are being rolled out to combat air pollution in the national capital.

Delhi Transport Corporation plans to introduce fifty electric buses by the second week of February, and 300 more are likely to arrive by April, Gahlot said.

"With the induction of these 100 buses, Delhi now has nearly 6,900 buses -- a figure that has never been obtained before," Kejriwal said, adding that during the 2010 CommonWealth Games, there were nearly 6,000 buses in the national capital.

During the inauguration of 100 new AC CNG buses on Friday at Rajghat, Gahlot said, “The first prototype of the electric bus has already reached Delhi and will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (January 17). Fifty e-buses will be inducted into DTC`s fleet by the second week of February and the target to admit 300 e-buses is likely to be achieved till April."

There are 2,300 total electric buses in the pipeline. Out of these, 1,300 will be procured by the DTC and the rest 1,000 will operate under the cluster scheme.