Ahead of Delhi elections, Kejriwal flags off 25 new buses, says 3,000 more in next 7-8 months

New Delhi, Aug 20: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday flagged off first batch of 25 new buses of the 1,000 standard floor ones to be procured in a phased manner by the Delhi government. The chief minister said that in next seven-eight months, 3,000 new buses, including 1,000 e-buses, will be rolled out in the city.

"In the last seven-eight years no new buses were added to the public transport system. But, in the coming seven-eight months, 3,000 new buses will be delivered," Kejriwal said at the flag off ceremony. The new buses will not only help boost public transport but also improve environment, he added.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that the government overcame "unimaginable obstructions" for procuring new buses. The 25 new buses are equipped with hydraulic lifts for differently-abled commuters, besides CCTV cameras, GPS, and panic buttons.

In September, the second batch of 125 standard floor buses under the cluster scheme will be rolled out, Kejriwal said. The entire fleet of 1,000 standard floor buses will be delivered by January next year. The vehicles will add to the fleet of 1,679 buses under the cluster scheme of Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS).

The chief minister said that the delivery of 1,000 e-buses, being procured by the government, will begin from February. Roll out of first batch of 385 e-buses is expected in February 2020.

The remaining 615 e buses will be procured in next phases, a government official said. The tenders for 1000 low floor air conditioned buses for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) have been floated, he said. The government is also moving to induct 1,000 low floor air conditioned buses under the cluster scheme. The contract of 650 Low Floor buses has already been awarded by the transport department and delivery will start from January 2020, he added.

PTI