To strengthen last-mile connectivity in the city, the government will soon be introducing a new fleet of compact electric buses, which will be smaller than the existing metro feeder buses, officials said on Wednesday.

The Delhi government has placed an order for 500 seven-metre e-buses under the Centre’s PM e-Drive scheme, chief minister Rekha Gupta said.

According to officials, these compact buses will be deployed on narrow stretches and interior roads where larger buses struggle to operate. The move is aimed at improving access to congested colonies and enhancing last mile connectivity along with reducing emissions.

“We have placed orders for the first lot of 500 seven-metre buses for Delhi. We are expecting these buses by 2027-28 in batches. The Delhi government aims to ensure that, in the coming months, Delhi’s bus fleet becomes one of the largest and cleanest e-bus networks in the world,” said CM Rekha Gupta.

Transport minister Pankaj Singh said the tendering process has been completed and the first batch of buses is expected to hit the roads soon. He added that the roll-out will take place in phases.