Delhi adds 300 electric buses with new depots in Narela Rithala and Kohat Enclave

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta flagged off 300 new electric buses and inaugurated three new electric bus depots in Narela, Rithala, and Kohat Enclave to boost Delhi's public transport system.

The newly inducted vehicles include 195 nine-metre 'DEVi' buses and 105 regular 12-metre buses. According to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, these low-floor, air-conditioned buses are designed to provide safe, comfortable, and accessible travel, including for persons with disabilities.

Each new electric bus is equipped with modern smart features, including CCTV cameras, panic buttons, real-time GPS tracking, and a passenger information system to ensure commuter safety.

To support the expanded fleet, three new electric bus depots were inaugurated. The depots at Narela Sector A-1 and A-4 have a combined parking capacity of 250 DEVi buses. The Kohat Enclave depot can accommodate 30 electric buses, while the Rithala depot has space to house 90 buses.

According to an official, the newly built Kohat Enclave depot features an administrative building, a service pit, a repair shop, a washing pit, a store, a security room, and an electrical substation.

Additionally, an automated testing station at the Nand Nagri DTC depot was inaugurated on Tuesday. This facility will conduct fully automated fitness testing for heavy, light, and two-wheeler vehicles, with an annual capacity to test 52,000 heavy and light vehicles alongside 20,000 two-wheelers.

With the addition of these 300 vehicles, Delhi’s active public transport fleet has expanded to nearly 6,600 buses, which includes 4,845 electric buses and 1,755 CNG buses. The Delhi government aims to scale this up to a modern fleet of approximately 14,000 buses by the 2028-29 financial year.