Delhi Chief Minister Atishi inspected 150 new Mohalla buses at the Kushak Nala depot on Tuesday and promised to improve last-mile connectivity in the national capital in line with the AAP dispensation's commitment to building world-class public transport infrastructure.

The Mohalla Bus Scheme is designed to provide efficient feeder services. Each of these nine-metre electric buses can seat 23 passengers and has a standing capacity of 13. Specifically designed to navigate the narrow and congested roads of Delhi, these buses have 25 per cent of seats reserved for women. In a post on X, Atishi described the Mohalla buses as a "game changer" for public transport in Delhi.

"Today I inspected these electric low-floor mohalla buses at the Kushak Nala depot. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, these buses can run up to 200 kilometres with just an hour of charging. In the next two weeks, 150 Mohalla buses will hit the roads, and 2,140 such buses will connect every colony of Delhi by 2025," she said.

Atishi further emphasised that the initiative aligns with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's commitment to building world-class public transport infrastructure under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

 "Currently, Delhi operates a fleet of 1,940 electric buses, making it the second-largest city globally in electric bus deployment. Delhi will soon become the leader in sustainable urban transport with the largest electric bus fleet," she said. The green-coloured buses, easily identifiable for commuters, can travel more than 200 kilometres on a single charge, which takes only 45 minutes.

The 9-meter-long Mohalla Buses are powered by electric batteries and designed for narrow and congested areas where standard 12-meter DTC buses cannot operate. These buses will also improve connectivity to key transport hubs like metro stations, saving time and reducing the need for multiple bus changes or auto-rickshaw rides. Each bus is equipped with six battery packs totaling 196 kW capacity, offering a range of over 200 km on a 45-minute charge. <

With 23 seats and standing space for 13 passengers, these green-colored buses are easily identifiable. Notably, 25% of the seats (6 in total) are reserved for women and marked in pink.

The Mohalla Bus initiative aims to provide reliable feeder bus services in neighborhoods across Delhi using 9-meter-long electric buses.

The Delhi government plans to deploy a total of 2,140 such buses by 2025, with dedicated depots for their parking and maintenance.