DEVI Electric Bus Rollout Delayed Following Pope Francis’s Passing
The roll-out of the Mohalla Electric Bus Service, otherwise referred to as Delhi Electric Vehicle Interchanges (DEVI), has been deferred following the national mourning ordered after the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. Originally set for April 22, the Delhi Transport Department stated that a new date would be announced soon.
The DEVI initiative is a key part of Delhi’s push to improve last-mile connectivity and promote eco-friendly urban transport. It aims to connect metro stations with nearby residential areas using compact, nine-meter-long electric buses that can easily navigate narrow and densely populated streets.
In the initial phase, 255 electric buses will be brought on board from Nangli depots, East Vinod Nagar, and Ghazipur. The capacity of each bus will be 23 seated passengers and 13 standing. There will be six seats for women, and 25% of seats will remain vacant under the Pink Pass scheme to enable women to travel more safely and affordably.
The buses are powered by six battery packs of 196 kWh, which enable the bus to get a full charge within 45 minutes and travel 200 km—that is, a day’s worth of city operations.
MS-1 will be the initial route that connects Akshardham Metro Station to Mayur Vihar Phase-3 Paper Market with additional stops at principal points such as Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri, and Ghazipur.
Fares will range from ₹10 to ₹25, matching current AC bus pricing. DEVI is part of a broader plan to introduce over 2,000 electric buses by 2025 and aims to support Delhi’s larger goal of deploying 10,000 electric buses to cut pollution and reduce traffic congestion.
