The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has purchased 300 electric buses with the help of a Rs. 165 crore incentive from the Central Government, according to a statement by Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Heavy Industries.
Recent months have seen the introduction of fifty electric buses in Delhi, with assistance from the FAME India Phase II Scheme run by the Central Government (Ministry of Heavy Industries).
According to Dr. Pandey, different cities/STUs/state governments placed supply orders for 3,538 electric buses under the Ministry of Heavy Industries’ (MHI) FAME II Scheme. As of 02/01/2023, a total of 1,716 electric buses had been deployed out of the 3,538 total.
He also stated that 400 Electric Buses were sanctioned for procurement in the Union Territory of Delhi in August 2019, with 300 Electric Buses going to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for intra-city operations and 100 Electric Buses going to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for last mile connectivity.
The supply orders were due by 15/01/2020, and DMRC issued such orders to successful bidders in December 2019, whereas Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) could only issue supply orders in March 2021. As a special case, the Central Government extended the last date of supply order by DTC up to 31/03/2021, in order to facilitate DTC’s provision of a pollution-free world-class transit/transport system to Delhi.
DTC has already deployed 250 buses, and the remaining 50 buses have now been deployed, fulfilling the Central Government’s (MHI) commitment to provide 300 electric buses to DTC. The Central Government will provide DTC with a Rs. 165 crore incentive for these 300 electric buses.