Delhi rolls out 56 women-only electric buses, including 26 for DU colleges

The Delhi government will introduce 56 dedicated women-only electric bus services on Wednesday, including 26 University Ladies Special (U-SPL) services connecting Delhi University colleges. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will flag off the services, which are part of an expansion of the city's public transport network.

The services comprise 30 Ladies Special trips on 15 high-demand routes and 26 U-SPL trips on 13 routes. These buses will connect residential areas with institutional hubs such as Nehru Place, AIIMS, South Extension, Connaught Place, ITO and the Delhi Secretariat, according to officials.

The U-SPL services will connect colleges including Hindu College, Ramjas College, Daulat Ram College, Shri Ram College of Commerce and Lady Shri Ram College. Distinctive stickers will help commuters identify the women-only buses.

Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the dedicated services have been planned around the daily travel requirements of working women and students, particularly during peak hours.

In a separate development, five new electric buses will begin operating on the Delhi-Karnal route. The buses will make 10 daily trips in each direction on the 133-km route, connecting Delhi with Singhu Border, Rai, Bahalgarh, Murthal, Ganaur, Samalkha, Panipat, Gharaunda and Madhuban. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) already operates inter-state services to Baraut, Sonipat, Dharuhera, Panipat and Rohtak.

Ms. Gupta will also flag off 200 new electric buses, comprising 112 Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) buses and 88 12-metre buses. This will take the total number of electric buses in Delhi to 4,938. The overall bus fleet will rise to 6,800, including 4,938 electric and 1,750 CNG buses. The government aims to expand the fleet to nearly 14,000 buses by FY 2028-29, Mr. Singh said.

The low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons and accessibility features for persons with disabilities.

"Delhi's transport system is moving decisively towards cleaner, safer and more reliable public mobility, with electric buses at the heart of this transformation," the Minister added.

Separately, an electric-vehicle charging station will be inaugurated at Rajghat Depot-I. Developed at a cost of over ₹5 crore, it will have four 240-kW chargers capable of supporting heavy commercial electric vehicles and electric cars. More high-capacity charging stations are under construction at other DTC locations, officials said.