400 electric buses inaugurated in Delhi ahead of G20

The Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister of Delhi jointly dedicated 400 new e-buses to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet ahead of the G20 Summit. This follows prior reports of e-bus problems. DTC’s fleet of electric buses will now number over 800 with these additions. The goal is to limit the use of fossil fuels and air pollution.

Usage of electric vehicles

The e-buses are part of the central government’s initiative to encourage the usage of electric vehicles.

The LG and the chief minister have shared the platform for the second time in a month, following the August 8 opening of the waste-to-art-themed Shaheedi Park on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.

To be fair, the buses’ inauguration comes a little over a month after many of the 200 e-buses introduced in July experienced problems, forcing the government to raise the issue with the manufacturer.

“Delhi LG VK Saxena, accompanied by the CM Arvind Kejriwal and transport minister Kailash Gahlot, will flag off a new lot of 400 electric buses in the city on 05.09.2023 at IP Depot. Coming on the run-up to the G20 Summit, these buses will further add to the fleet of electric vehicles being rapidly added to the city with an aim of cutting down on fossil fuel consumption and reducing air pollution,” the LG office said in a statement in August.

Delhi now flaunts a total of 800 electric buses, making it the city with the highest number of electric buses in India.

The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi’s 2018 budget plan pledged to expand the bus transportation system and expand the electric bus fleet.

This includes Rs 28,556 crore for electric buses, Rs 3500 crore for improving Delhi’s public transportation system, Rs 1,500 crore for electrifying 57 buses, 1,600 new electric buses, 900 EV charging points, 1,400 bus wait shelters, and the Mohalla bus project for last mile connectivity.

While this has sparked excitement about the much-needed reinvention of bus transportation in the city, the terrible reality of bus transportation, as emphasized yesterday by the Economic Survey, 2022-23, dampens expectations.

The Survey’s inconsistent patterns are concerning.

The total bus fleet of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses has grown from 5,695 in 2017-18 to 7,072. If the budget commitments are met, this figure is anticipated to rise much more.  The troubling reality is that, despite an increase in bus numbers, bus ridership has dropped dramatically over the years. This trend is witnessed despite the unwelcome move of the Delhi government to ban shared app-based taxis in the city.

While it is encouraging to see increased investments in bus fleet augmentation, electrification of the bus fleet, and depot infrastructure, there are no enablers for buses to provide reliable services on congested roads, efficiently connect all neighbourhoods, and have more manoeuvring space to move in congested roads.

Moreover, by a mere increase in Delhi buses, the question of safety still persists. Recently, a 28-year-old man was held by police for masturbating and ejaculating on a minor girl in Delhi Metro. Delhi’s female commuters have continually expressed safety issues in buses as assaulters take advantage of a crowded bus. Women from varied colleges in Delhi expressed their displeasure at the aforementioned ban of shared cabs as they felt safer and more in control with booked cabs. This sustains to be an issue whether the bus in question runs on petrol, CNG or electricity. Public Transport is still terrible on account of safety even if the government jointly fixes the convenience concern. The buses sure are environment-friendly, pocket-friendly but are they going to be safety-friendly?

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