India’s major metropolitan centres Delhi and Chennai commissioned more than 200 electric buses this week, stepping up efforts to decarbonise public transport and curb air pollution as part of broader urban mobility programmes.
In the national capital, state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) flagged off 100 electric low-floor air-conditioned buses on Thursday. The new vehicles are operating on a 66-kilometre intercity route linking Delhi with Dharuhera, a town in neighbouring Haryana within the National Capital Region.
DTC has not disclosed detailed technical specifications, but images from the launch suggest a mix of nine-metre and 12-metre electric buses supplied by PMI Electro Mobility. The operator confirmed the inclusion of air-conditioning, aimed at improving passenger comfort during peak summer periods. The service is targeted primarily at daily commuters, with fares set at 121 rupees to encourage usage. With the latest additions, DTC now operates around 3,400 electric buses across intracity and intercity routes.
In southern India, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) launched 125 electric city buses on Friday. The fleet includes 45 low-floor air-conditioned units and 80 low-floor non-air-conditioned units, deployed on ten routes from the Poonamallee electric bus depot. The vehicles appear to be the 12-metre EiV 12 model from Switch Mobility, featuring a low floor height and a kneeling mechanism to improve accessibility for elderly passengers, people with disabilities and families with children.
MTC procured the buses under a gross cost contract, with the fleet valued at 2.145 billion rupees ($25.8 million). An additional 435.3 million rupees was spent on upgrading the Poonamallee depot to support electric operations. The investments form part of the Chennai City Partnership Program – Sustainable Urban Services Program, co-financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Chennai plans to deploy a total of 625 low-floor electric buses under the programme. With earlier rollouts from the Vyasarpadi and Perumbakkam depots, MTC has now commissioned 380 units, with the remaining 245 buses to be introduced in later phases as additional depots are upgraded.