As many as 500 electric buses will be flagged off in the national capital on January 23, taking the number of such buses on city roads to 1,800. This was stated by  Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Tuesday. 

Gahlot boarded a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus and interacted with the mediapersons . During his bus ride, which sought to encourage people to use public transport, the minister also interacted with people. "Currently, there are 1,300 electric buses... (on Delhi roads). On January 23, 500 more buses will be flagged off, taking the number of such buses to 1,800," Gahlot said.

Highlighting the role of public transport in mitigating pollution, the minister said, "I urge the people of Delhi to prioritise the use of public transport. This not only saves money but also contributes to a cleaner and greener city." Gahlot said he booked his bus ticket using the 'One Delhi' mobile app and asked people to do the same. The government has tied up with Tummoc to bring the single-journey ticket system.

Under the system, the same ticket will work for travelling in bus, metro and autorickshaws, and will be valid from the origin to the destination. As of December 2023, the Delhi government's fleet had 7,232 buses, including 4,391 operated by the DTC and 2,841 by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS).

The daily bus ridership in 2023 stood at 41 lakh. 

(With PTI inputs)