India: Delhi and Chennai commission over 200 electric buses
In the national capital, state-owned operator Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) flagged off 100 electric low-floor AC buses on Thursday. It operates these buses on a 66-kilometre intercity route connecting Delhi with Dharuhera, a town in the State of Haryana and within the National Capital Region (NCR).
While DTC has not disclosed detailed specifications, images and videos from the flag-off ceremony indicate the use of a mix of PMI Electro Mobility’s nine- and twelve-metre electric buses. It does state the inclusion of air-conditioning, though, which would improve passenger comfort, especially during peak summer months.
The new interstate service mainly benefits daily commuters travelling from Dharuhera to Delhi for work. DTC has set the fare at just 121 rupees to ensure affordability and widespread adoption. With the recent addition of 100 units, it now operates 3,400 electric buses on intracity and intercity routes.
On Friday, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai’s public transport operator, flagged off 125 electric city buses, including 45 low-floor AC units and 80 low-floor non-AC units. It operates the new fleet on ten city routes from the Poonamallee electric bus depot. These buses, which appear to be Switch Mobility’s EiV 12 twelve-metre model, have a floor height of 400 mm and feature a kneeling mechanism that can lower it to 250 mm, making entry and exit easier, particularly for people with disabilities, senior citizens, pregnant women, and children.
MTC has procured the 125 electric buses on a gross cost contrast (GCC) basis, with the total contracted fleet value pegged at 2.145 billion rupees (approximately 20 million euros). Additionally, it spent 435.3 million rupees (approximately 4 million euros) in upgrading the electric bus depot. These initiatives form part of the Chennai City Partnership Program – Sustainable Urban Services Program (CCP – SUSP), a multi-sector programme co-financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
In total, MTC plans to deploy 625 low-floor electric buses in Chennai as part of the programme. It commissioned 120 units from the new Vyasarpadi electric bus depot in the first phase in June and 135 units from the new Perumbakkam electric bus depot in the second phase in August. With the addition of the 125 units from the upgraded Poonamallee electric bus depot this month, the operator has deployed 380 units so far.
MTC plans to roll out the remaining 245 electric buses from the Central Depot and Tondiarpet Depot–1 in subsequent phases. Currently, it is modernising both depots and upgrading them to support electrification.
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