Delhi gets CNG-electric hybrid buses

Adding another feather to its cap ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) Friday added four hybrid buses, introduced for the first time in India, to its fleet for providing world-class transport services during the Oct 3-14 event.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday launched CNG-electric hybrid buses, provided by Tata Motors, at a function to inaugurate a bus depot in northeast Delhi.

DTC's media consultant M.S. Shehrawat told IANS that the buses, which can  run on either CNG or batteries, have been introduced for the first time inIndia and altogether there will be four buses for trial in the Games host city.

"These buses have been introduced on a trial basis. They are capable of covering a distance at a speed similar to the Delhi Metro. But, given the city's infrastructure, it will go by the prescribed limit set by the traffic police," he said.

The DTC has not decided about the routes on which these buses will run during the Games.

Earlier, Dikshit described the introduction of the buses as a "humble beginning" which will take the public transport in Delhi to new heights.

She expressed confidence that such buses will go a long way in overcoming pollution.

Meant for intra-city transportation, the Hybrid Tata Starbus is powered with a parallel hybrid engine comprising an internal combustion CNG engine and an electric motor using a regenerative energy storage system, a statement from Tata Moters said.

The bus offers substantial improvement in fuel economy compared to a conventional bus. As a result, the usage of this technology leads to lower emissions, thereby contributing to cleaner air and a greener, more environment-friendly commercial passenger transportation application, the statement said.

The low-floor air-conditioned bus, with a floor height of 400 mm, can seat 32 passengers and can also accommodate wheelchairs.