New Delhi: Delhi govt Thursday inaugurated its second Automated Testing Station (ATS) at DTC’s Tehkhand Depot, expanding the capital’s vehicle fitness-testing infrastructure and reducing dependence on facilities outside Delhi.The four-lane ATS has an annual testing capacity of 72,000 vehicles, including 52,000 heavy and light motor vehicles and 20,000 two-wheelers. Two lanes have been earmarked for heavy motor vehicles, one for light motor vehicles and one for two-wheelers.The automated facility will conduct fitness checks such as braking efficiency, suspension performance, headlight alignment, side-slip, emission levels and underbody inspection, reducing human intervention and improving transparency and accuracy in vehicle testing.Chief minister Rekha Gupta said Delhi earlier lacked adequate testing facilities for its large commercial vehicle fleet, forcing vehicle owners to travel to other parts of NCR for fitness certification. The new facility, she said, would strengthen vehicle-testing infrastructure in the capital.The Tehkhand centre is Delhi’s second ATS after the facility at Nand Nagri. Delhi govt said the project is part of its broader efforts to improve road safety and curb vehicular pollution.The chief minister also flagged off 50 new 12-metre electric buses for the DTC fleet. With their induction, Delhi’s bus fleet has risen to around 6,840 buses, including 5,088 electric buses and 1,752 CNG buses. Govt said Delhi now has the country’s largest electric bus fleet and aims to expand the total fleet to about 14,000 buses by 2028-29.The new buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons and other passenger-safety features.Govt also launched an interstate electric bus service connecting Dhaula Kuan and Rewari via Gurgaon, Manesar and Dharuhera. The 86-km journey will cost Rs 153. Services from Dhaula Kuan will operate between 6.05am and 6pm, while buses from Rewari will run from 9.35am to 9.25pm.In another push for electric mobility, public EV charging stations were inaugurated at DTC’s Hasanpur and Ghazipur depots near Anand Vihar. Each facility has four 240-kW chargers capable of serving heavy commercial electric vehicles as well as electric cars, supported by dedicated electrical infrastructure, including 1,600-kVA compact substations.
