The launch of Delhi’s new electric feeder bus service — branded the Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) — was postponed on Tuesday owing to state mourning declared by the Union government.
However, a preview of the service made one aspect clear: the buses will not carry advertisements, despite repeated advice from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to boost non-fare revenue through bus body wraps.
The DEVI fleet, comprising 330 nine-metre electric buses, was to be inaugurated from the Kushak Nallah depot on Tuesday, but the event was deferred after the government declared a three-day mourning to mark the passing of Pope Francis.
Meanwhile, the buses are ready for rollout, bearing the “DEVI” logo along with photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on opposite sides of the vehicle.
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) officials confirmed that no advertising space has been allotted on the DEVI buses yet. “There were plans earlier, but since the DEVI branding has been done, ad space has not been allocated. Even regular DTC buses don’t carry advertisements yet. We will act based on future directives,” said a senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Repeated attempts to get a response from transport minister Pankaj Singh went unanswered. No response was available from the CM’s office too.
CAG, in a report tabled in the Delhi assembly last month, highlighted how DTC missed several opportunities to augment revenue through advertisements, including bus body wraps (BBW). Between 2015 and 2022, the corporation lost an estimated ₹40.57 crore by failing to execute such contracts. “Despite the availability of buses for BBW, DTC did not execute the contracts and lost the opportunity to earn revenue,” the report stated.
Officials estimate that BBW on DEVI buses alone could generate ₹13 crore annually, and up to ₹1,200 crore if extended to the entire fleet of around 3,000 DTC buses, assuming average earnings of ₹4 lakh per bus per year.
Notably, the decision not to monetise ad space contrasts with the visual branding of political leaders appears in line with the strategy of the previous Delhi government. During the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime, images of former CM Arvind Kejriwal and transport minister Kailash Gahlot were displayed on buses. However, these were ordered removed in September last year, when the transport department issued a directive for the removal of all political posters from buses and depot premises.
The DEVI service, previously known as the Mohalla Bus Service under the AAP government, was envisioned to strengthen last-mile connectivity across the Capital. In fact, many of the electric buses still retain remnants of the “Mohalla Bus” branding, parked alongside the newly branded DEVI fleet.
When the service launches, the initial batch of buses will operate from depots in Ghazipur, Nangloi, and East Vinod Nagar, among others, which together have capacity for 100 electric buses. The buses will primarily serve narrow and underserved internal roads, connecting passengers to major DTC routes and metro stations.
Each DEVI bus will cover a route of around 12km and make about 10 trips per day. “They will ply along internal roads connecting major bus stops, metro stations, and other key transit hubs,” an official said.
With a seating capacity of 23 (including six pink seats reserved for women) and standing space for 13 more passengers, DEVI buses also offer free rides to women through pink tickets. The buses are powered by six battery packs with a combined capacity of 196 kW, offering a range of over 200 km and an opportunity charging time of 45 minutes.
Despite the fanfare, experts argue that bypassing non-fare revenue streams undermines the sustainability of public transport.
“DTC definitely needs to work on increasing non-fare revenue, as this can help subsidise public transport for commuters. However, full-body advertisements on buses may have inherent safety drawbacks, particularly for female passengers. While these advertisements allow visibility from inside the bus to the outside, they often obstruct the view from the outside — potentially raising safety concerns. Therefore, their use warrants careful consideration,” said Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council of Clean Transport (ICCT).
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