DMRC launches hydrogen-fueled shuttle buses in Central Vista
New Delhi, May 15
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, launched an integrated hydrogen-powered shuttle bus service in Delhi's Central Vista area on Friday.
Under this initiative, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is providing two state-of-the-art hydrogen-fueled buses to DMRC, having a seating capacity of 35 passengers, equipped with GPS-based tracking and CCTV systems for real-time monitoring, safety, punctuality, and route adherence.
The shuttle service will operate on all working days, excluding gazetted holidays, during peak office hours. According to Amit Kumar Jain, the Director (Operations & Services) of DMRC, the shuttle service will operate from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm in the morning and 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm in the evening.
Amit Kumar Jain told ANI that the DMRC has planned two loops of shuttle services in Central Vista as an environmentally friendly last-mile connectivity option.
He added that the government is planning to run shuttle buses connecting government colonies to the nearest metro stations.
The DMRC director said, "This will connect all offices and metro stations in Central Vista. This will ply from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm. Metro is considered the most sustainable, environmentally friendly mode. But the metro cannot reach everywhere. So, last-mile options are very important. We have fossil fuel-based options available for last-mile options. I am delighted, and I would like to thank IOCL for providing these H2O buses. Besides being energy efficient, they are environmentally friendly."
"As of now, these will connect DMRC stations in Central Vista - Seva Teerth and Central Secretariat, as well as the offices here. There is another plan by the Government - providing shuttle buses which will connect government colonies to the nearest metro stations," he added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative but only 2 buses? That's like a drop in the ocean. We need thousands of such buses to make a real difference. Also, what about the hydrogen production - is it green hydrogen or from fossil fuels? DMRC should clarify.
Living near Central Vista, I can say this is much needed. The last-mile connectivity from Central Secretariat metro to various offices is a nightmare during peak hours. Hope the GPS tracking actually works unlike those 'live tracking' apps that show buses arriving but never do. 😅
Great to see India moving towards hydrogen technology! This is also good for Make in India. But the timings (8:30-6:30) might not cover all office workers - many people work late shifts or start earlier. Need to extend timings in future.
As a student of environmental engineering, this is a commendable pilot. But let's be realistic - hydrogen infrastructure is expensive and energy-intensive. For last-mile connectivity, electric buses might be more practical at scale. Still, glad to see innovation.
This is wonderful! Central Vista area has become so congested with all the new offices. Having eco-friendly shuttle buses is a smart move. I just hope they maintain the buses properly and don't let them become run-down like many government vehicles. 🙏
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