Delhi will have 9,500 buses by May 2020: Sisodia

New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The Delhi Cabinet on Thursday approved procurement of 1,000 CNG low floor buses by the DTC, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, adding that the capital will have 9,500 buses plying on the roads by May 2020.

The Delhi government is ready with the schedule for 4,000 new buses on Delhi roads.

The cabinet, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, gave nod to a proposal for the procurement of 1,000 CNG low floor buses by DTC, Sisodia said adding these buses will come on Delhi roads between January and May 2020.

"The Cabinet decisions taken today are a major boost for public transport. With the decisions taken today and those taken earlier and in the pipeline, Delhi will have 9,500 buses plying on the roads by May 2020, adding 4,000 buses in the current fleet of Delhi's public transport. The first batch of the buses will start coming this month and it will continue till May 2020," Sisodia told media here.

He said right now Delhi has around 5,500 buses plying on the roads (DTC & Cluster).

"The 1,000 standard floor cluster buses will start coming from July itself and the full delivery would be completed by December this year. Tender for 1,000 electric buses has been done and will be opened in August. All the 1,000 electric buses would be on Delhi roads by April 2020 starting from January 2020," Sisodia added.

He said out of the 1,000 low floor cluster buses, which are to be added to the public transport fleet of Delhi, the cabinet on Thursday today approved the proposal to award of concession to the successful bidders for 650 buses.

"Work will be awarded in 15 days. The tender for the rest of the 350 buses will be opened on July 19. These 1,000 low floor cluster buses will start coming from December 2019 in a batch of 165 every month and will be completed by April 2020."