New Delhi: Soon, you may travel to Haridwar, Ayodhya, Rishikesh, Meerut and Baghpat in electric buses run by Delhi govt. Plans are in place to roll out 100 electric inter-state buses, which will connect seventeen routes to the national capital.A senior official of Delhi Transport Corporation said that the buses would cover areas between 250 and 300 km from the city. The routes are also likely to include Shimla, Lucknow, Aligarh and Jaipur. The decision was taken during a DTC board meeting on Friday.Transport minister Pankaj Singh said, “These electric buses will strengthen Delhi’s connectivity with neighbouring states and will run across 17 identified routes, including several that connect to important religious and pilgrimage destinations.”The initiative is part of the govt’s “Viksit Sankalp Patra” vision, aligning with the broader goals of Green Delhi, Clean Delhi. These e-buses will be operated by existing DTC drivers, ensuring continuity and efficient utilisation of workforce resources, said govt.The board also presented a plan to enhance DTC’s non-fare revenue through advertisements on buses. While the corporation plans to earn Rs 5 crore annually from advertisements, efforts are underway to bring more buses under ad coverage, aiming to multiply advertising revenue significantly.Singh said, “The e-bus facility will not only improve access to neighbouring areas and pilgrimage hubs but also reduce pollution levels in Delhi.”Earlier, DTC ran regular buses to areas in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, but began discontinuing services from 2001 onwards as its fleet switched entirely to CNG, which is not easily available in these states, making long-distance travel almost impossible.By 2010, DTC’s interstate operations became limited to NCR because, on average, a CNG-run low-floor bus has a range of about 250 km per fill.A DTC official said that most commuters preferred the interstate bus services over buses of other state transport corporations. “Back then, DTC buses connected Delhi to several cities, including Jaipur, Chandigarh, Udaipur, Shimla and Haridwar,” he added.
