Free rides on e-buses for 3 days in Delhi, from May 24

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) Commuters will get to travel free of cost in Delhi Transport Corporation's electric buses for three days starting May 24, officials said.

The move is aimed at encouraging people to promote e-buses, they said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will flag-off 150 electric buses on Tuesday from the Indraprastha Depot, officials said.

An official communication from the transport department on Monday said, "I am directed to inform that it has been decided by the competent authority to allow free travel to all the bus commuters in all the pure electric buses of DTC, for a period from 24.05.2022 to 26.05.2022.

"All the officers and the operational crew of DTC may be informed accordingly and not to insist commuters for purchase of tickets, during the aforesaid period of 03 days in all pure electric buses of DTC." A DTC official said the free travel is being offered to encourage people to promote e-buses.

"It's being done to motivate people and to spread awareness about the e-buses. With the addition of 150 buses, e-buses fleet will go up to 152. The DTC will be receiving 150 more e-buses in June and July," the official added.

The first e-bus was flagged off by Kejriwal in January this year.

At that time, the chief minister had said 300 more such buses will soon join the public transport in the city.

Terming the flag-off as the beginning of an era of the environment-friendly public transport system in the capital, the chief minister had said 2,000 electric buses will be procured by the government in the coming years.