New Delhi LG, CM Arvind Kejriwal to flag off 400 electric buses on Sept 5

New Delhi :  Ahead of the G20 summit, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will flag off 400 electric buses on September 5, Raj Niwas officials said on Thursday. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot will also attend the flagging off ceremony, they said.

Delhi will host the G20 summit from September 9 to 10. As on date, 400 electric buses are already in operation under the Centre-supported Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) II Scheme.

The city government has awarded a contract for the induction of 1,500 electric buses in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet. Of these, 921 are covered under the FAME II Scheme under the National Automotive Board (NAB) of the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The Centre supports electric vehicle (EV) deployment through the FAME II Scheme, with an aim to reduce primary fossil oil consumption and pollution in cities as well as create battery and EV manufacturing capacity at a global scale. The induction of EVs will enable Delhi to switch to e-mobility with a target of making 80 per cent of the DTC's fleet electric, the officials said.