Delhi Launches West Region Bus Route Revamp for Better Commute

"The rationalisation of routes in the West Region is designed to improve reliability, shorten waiting times, and enhance service delivery. There is no shortage of buses in the city. We are building a cleaner, stronger, and more efficient public transport system for every citizen," said the Minister on Tuesday.

The new rationalisation structure will take effect from Wednesday. The exercise follows the successful rationalisation in the Transport Yamuna Region (East), and the next phase will soon begin in the North Zone.

The rationalisation comes at a time when the city is progressively phasing out its 15-year-old DTC CNG low-floor buses as per statutory guidelines.

Despite this compulsory reduction, the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi Government has ensured that there is no shortage of buses in the city.

Services across the West Region have been restructured to maintain operational continuity, optimise fleet usage, and minimise passenger waiting time.

The exercise ensures that no 12-meter bus route is discontinued. Instead, routes have been carefully reorganised based on demand, ridership patterns, and corridor importance.

Additional buses have been deployed during peak hours under the Unified Time Table to provide smoother travel during high-demand periods.

The rationalisation also integrates the deployment of 9-meter electric "Devi" buses, with up to 50 per cent of the existing e-bus fleet being utilised across selected 12-meter routes to maintain service consistency.

Additionally, adjustments have been made for routes affected by the closure of certain CNG depots in the West Zone to ensure that services continue without major disruption. Overall, the exercise strengthens service delivery across all 181 routes in the West Region, said an official statement.

Meanwhile, Delhi's transition to electric mobility has also gained unprecedented momentum. Since the formation of the current government, more than 3,600 electric buses have been added to Delhi's public transport fleet, marking one of the fastest EV mobility expansions in India.

The government aims to increase this number to over 5,000 e-buses by March 2026 and further expand it to more than 7,000 by November 2026, establishing Delhi as a global leader in sustainable mass mobility, the statement said.

- IANS