Delhi’s DTC Tenders for Procurement of 300 Electric Buses

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has floated a tender, inviting bids from eligible bidders for the selection of bus operators for the procurement and operation of 300 air-conditioned electric buses on PPP (BOOT) basis under the FAME-II Scheme.

The tender comes at a time when the city is reeling under its annual spike in pollution to unhealthy levels, putting its abject public bus transport network in focus.

The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the supply, operation and maintenance of the 300 electric buses. The bus operators that are elected will sign a 12-year contract with DTC from the date of successful delivery and trial of the last electric bus.

The last date for bid submission is November 13, 2019. All interested bidders will have to submit a Bid Security amount of Rs 6 crore along with their bids.

As per the tender documents, the selected supplier and operator will also have to develop the charging infrastructure, including electric transformers, connections, and allied civil infrastructure at the depots under the OPEX model. Moreover, DTC has mandated that the bids should come from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or bus operators.

DTC, which has shrunk in recent years with an ageing fleet and due to indifference caused by its own inefficiencies, is now looking to revive its role as a premiere public transport option for the capital’s citizens. The dawn of app based cab services, while providing a lot of convenience for Delhi citizens, has simply not been enough for the millions in the capital who cannot afford their fares, and continue to seek a more cost efficient option.

According to the tender documents, DTC aims to increase its total fleet of buses to 5,500. And that it has already issued tenders to procure 1,000 electric buses in the recent past.

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Recently, we reported that the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) has issued two tenders in a bid to procure 100 air-conditioned electric buses to be operated in its east and north Delhi clusters. The buses will be used for providing last-mile connectivity to Delhi Metro passengers.

The scope of work for selected vendors/developers will also include the procurement, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance (O&M) of the complementary battery charging infrastructure for these electric buses in the respective depots. The vendors are also expected to develop bus depot infrastructure for the repair and maintenance of buses on land provided by DMRC at the given locations. The total estimated cost of the tender is Rs 363 crore.

The latest tender comes even as the Delhi State government has pushed to make bus travel free for women commuters, effective Oct 29. It’s an initative they plan to take to the metro too, but that is still stuck in discussions and modalities.

The Delhi government has committed itself to 2000 new electric buses by 2020, a target that looks very achievable now that  both production and costs are ramping up, and down, respectively.