MINI: Under DTC, the first 300 out of 1300 electric buses are likely to be introduced by the end of June 2022 in Delhi with a vision to boost the EV infrastructure of the state by Delhi electric bus.
Highlights:
- Delhi government alloted INR 9,349 crore for development of transport, roads and bridges in budget 2021.
- Substantial hike in the EV registrations post the policies and subsidies.
- Two out of 300 e-buses are currently operational in Delhi.
- Delhi government is aiming a target of 11,000 public transport within the state by 2022-2023.
New Delhi: With a vision to make Delhi the “EV Capital” of the nation, the Delhi government left no stones unturned to boost EV infrastructure during 2021-2022. Inlining with the vision, the Delhi government is likely to introduce 1300 electric buses in the state for the electrification of its public transport fleet.
In 2022, the Delhi government introduced several policies and updates for EV adoption like the battery swapping policy, residential EV charging guideline, and EV charging guidebook for shopping malls of Delhi.
From the last year’s budget presented by Manish Sisodia, it came to view that Rs 9393 crore was earmarked for the development of transport, roads, and bridges. The amount was almost 14% of the total budget of the Delhi government for the year 2021-22.
The Delhi Government launched the electric vehicle policy on August 7, 2020. The main motive of the policy is to boost the adaptation of electric vehicles across different segments, especially in the mass-category of two-wheeler, public transport, and goods service. With the launch of this policy, the state government has the vision to make Delhi the “electric Vehicle Capital” of the Country.
As a result of supportive GOI policies and subsidies, India witnessed a substantial hike in EV registrations in 2021 compared to previous years.
It is expected that the allocation of funds in the next budget will be done with a vision to develop the right infrastructure for EV adoption in India. Also, buyers are highly optimistic that subsidies will be extended for further EVs post the budget.
With a vision to electrify the public transport fleet of Delhi, Manish Sisodia announced to the introduction of 13,00 electric buses in Delhi under the administration of the Delhi Transport Corporation. Currently, two electric buses are already operational under DTC, while the rest are in the production stage. In the second phase, the cluster scheme is likely to add 1000 more e-buses to Delhi’s public transport fleet.
READ MORE: Delhi’s new electric vehicle cell launched | Residential EV charging guidebook for malls launched
100 CNG buses in the cluster scheme and one AC electric bus in the DTC fleet were introduced in Delhi, at a time when the public transport fleet of Delhi recorded a number of 7,001. Comparing the ratio of electric and diesel variants, much more allocation of funds will be required from the Delhi government’s upcoming budget 2022-23 to meet the state’s goal for 11,000 public transport busses.
Under the DTC and Cluster scheme, the AAP government has waived off bus fares for women travelers since 2019, and it is likely that the upcoming funds will cover this too.
The unavailability of land in the Nation’s capital is another big challenge for developing any added infrastructure. Additional transport fleet in Delhi calls for multi-level bus depots to occupy all the new vehicles added. So, it is likely that the upcoming budget will oversee these scenarios and allocate funds for such multi-level projects.
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