Delhi CM flags off e buses, lays foundation of vehicle test station asserting to fight pollution

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday flagged off 50 electric buses and laid the foundation stone of an automated vehicle testing station at Tehkhand, asserting her government is committed to solving the air pollution problem in Delhi.

She said that while resolving the city's problems may require time, the government has a clear policy and firm intent to address each issue.

Delhi currently has over 1.53 crore registered vehicles. Approximately 6.5 lakh commercial vehicles require fitness tests each year. However, with only one operational automated test centre at Jhuljhuli, only 47,919 vehicles are being tested annually.

The Tehkhand depot centre, with a capacity to test the fitness of 73,000 vehicles annually, will help narrow the gap, said a statement from the Delhi CMO.

The chief minister pointed out that her government added 1,350 new e-buses after coming to power eight months ago, asserting it was a record progress compared to just 2,000 e-buses inducted in the public transport fleet of the city in the 11 years of the previous regime.

These steps, she noted, will greatly enhance Delhi's environmental quality and transport efficiency in the coming years.

The new fitness test centre at Tehkhand will play a crucial role in reducing pollution in the city, Gupta said and added that commercial vehicles are among the biggest contributors to pollution in Delhi.

Work on another automated testing station at Nand Nagri is rapidly nearing completion, she said.

Meanwhile, the existing vehicle testing centres at Burari and Jhuljhuli are being upgraded with state-of-the-art technology and modern standards. After the upgradation, the capacity will be enhanced to one lakh vehicles per year in Delhi, said the statement.

Transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said that the Tehkhand testing station will be built at a cost of Rs 10 crore. It will conduct fully digital, automated checks of brakes, suspension, underbody components, headlights, axles, and emissions, he added.

Gupta also flagged off 50 new electric buses-12 twelve-metre buses and 20 nine-metre low-floor air-conditioned buses. All buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons, GPS, and accessibility-friendly infrastructure, the statement said.

"The government is working to address the problem of pollution. We are flagging off electric buses and laying the foundation stone of this testing station. We are ramping up the capacity of Jhuljhuli and Burari testing units. There is also a testing station coming up at Nand Nagri," Gupta said.

Lashing out at the opposition parties, she accused them of leaving behind a myriad of problems.

"They question us on pollution. Where are the governments that ran in Delhi for 15 years and 11 years? The previous government procured 2,000 buses during their tenure, while the BJP government, in just eight months, has brought 1,350 electric buses to Delhi," the chief minister said.

However, she assured that the government was working on all fronts to address issues, ranging from garbage mountains to the rejuvenation of the Yamuna. PTI SLB VIT VIT HIG HIG