Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday flagged off 100 new buses to be operated under the Cluster Scheme.
525 buses
The addition of 100 buses, equipped with features, including CTTVs, panic buttons on every seat, hydraulic lifts for differently abled passengers and GPS tracking systems, brings the total number of such vehicles to be inducted under the scheme to 525 since August this year, the government said.
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“Hundreds of new buses will be added within the next 5-6 months. The shortage of buses for many years is now being addressed with these new additional buses,” said Mr. Kejriwal, adding: “It is my dream to modernise Delhi's public transport infrastructure so that it becomes a comfortable option for every citizen. One thousand electric buses will also be inducted very soon.”
The first lot of such vehicles to be inducted, which consisted of 25 buses, became operational in August following which 100 buses have been inducted every month since, the government said. While 12 buses each from the lot inducted on Thursday will ply from Tilak Nagar to Bakkargarh Border and Auchandi Border to Azadpur, respectively, 11 buses will ply on the route between Inderlok metro station and Dhansa Border, nine buses will ply from Old Delhi Railway Station to Ramzanpur Village and an equal number from Singhu Border to Tikri Border.
Eight buses, each will ply from Singhu Border to Kamla Market, Azadpur to Narela Terminal, Old Delhi Railway Station to Jhingola Village and Nilothi Extension to Mori Gate Terminal. Six buses, each, will ply from Sultanpur Dabas to Old Delhi Railway Station and Narela to Najafgarh. Three buses will ply on the route between Tilak Nagar and Jaffarpur Kalan.
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The tender process for the procurement of 300 electric buses has begun and is expected to be completed by December 15, the government said.
Meanwhile, LoP in the Legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta alleged the number of buses flagged off by Mr. Kejriwal on Thursday was “too small and too late”.