9,500 buses to ply on Delhi roads by May 2020: Sisodia

New Delhi: Delhi Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday approved the procurement of 1,000 CNG low floor buses by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Sisodia added that by May 2020, the national capital will have many as 9,500 buses plying on the roads.

Right now, Delhi has around 5,500 buses plying on the roads (DTC and Cluster buses). The 1,000 standard floor cluster buses will start coming from July itself and the full delivery would be completed by December this year, read a statement issued in this regard.

Tender for 1,000 electric buses has been done and will be opened on August 2. All the 1,000 electric buses would be on Delhi roads by April 2020 starting from January 2020.

Of the 1,000 low floor cluster buses which are to be added to the public transport fleet of Delhi, Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal to award of concession to the successful bidders for 650 buses. Work will be awarded in 15 days. The tender for the rest of the 350 buses will be opened on July 19. These 1,000 low floor cluster buses will start coming from December 2019 in a batch of 165 every month and will be completed by April 2020.

"The Cabinet decisions taken are a major boost for public transport. With the decisions taken today (Thursday) and those taken earlier and in the pipeline, Delhi will have 9,500 buses plying on the roads by May 2020; addition of 4,000 buses in the current fleet of Delhi's public transport. The first batch of the buses will start coming in July 2019 and it will continue till May 2020," Sisodia said.

He further said, "The proposal for the procurement of 1,000 CNG low floor buses by DTC was also approved by the cabinet today. These 1,000 buses will come on Delhi roads between January and May 2020."

Sisodia also shared that the state Cabinet has approved a proposal to officially close down the Rajghat Coal Plant. The 45-acre area plant will be converted into a solar park with the capacity of 5,000 KW.

"Delhi Government decided to close down the production at the coal-based plant in 2015 as it was a major source of pollution. Delhi Government has been pushing for Solar energy for quite some time now," Sisodia said.