From Yellow-Green to Electric Blue: Delhi’s Changing Bus Landscape

New Delhi: For generations of Delhi commuters, the yellow-and-green DTC bus was as familiar a part of the Capital’s streetscape as its crowded markets and major roads. But the colours associated with Delhi’s buses have changed repeatedly over the decades, reflecting shifts in technology, service models and the city’s approach to public transport.

The latest change is perhaps the most significant. Delhi’s last red AC low-floor DTC bus was retired this week, marking the end of an era for buses wholly owned and operated by the state transport corporation. The city is now moving increasingly towards an electric fleet operated through concessionaire-based contracts.

From yellow-green buses to a modern fleet

The Delhi Transport Corporation was established in 1971, although government-run bus services in the Capital date back to 1948.

For decades, conventional high-floor buses in the familiar yellow-and-green livery dominated Delhi’s roads. They became closely associated with everyday commuting in the city and remained a distinctive part of its urban identity.

The system began changing substantially in the 1990s and 2000s.

Following the Supreme Court-directed transition away from diesel, Delhi moved towards CNG-powered public buses. The 2010 Commonwealth Games further accelerated fleet modernisation.

Between 2007 and 2011, DTC inducted around 3,700 low-floor CNG buses. These included green non-AC buses and red AC buses, with features such as automatic transmission, air suspension, wider doors and improved accessibility.

The rise and fall of the Blueline buses

Delhi's bus story was not limited to DTC.

In 1992, privately operated Redline buses were introduced. They were later given a blue livery and became widely known as Blueline buses. The service was frequently criticised over road safety, and the buses acquired a controversial reputation following a series of accidents.

By 2008, there were around 3,600 Blueline buses alongside about 2,800 DTC buses, according to earlier reporting. The Blueline system was eventually phased out by 2010.

The subsequent cluster bus scheme, launched in 2011, brought privately operated orange buses into Delhi's public transport network under a public-private model. Dark-blue AC cluster buses were later added as the network expanded.

Electric buses bring another colour change

The latest transformation is from CNG to electric mobility.

DTC began large-scale induction of electric buses in 2022. The newer buses are predominantly light blue and are equipped with features including GPS, CCTV and passenger information systems.

Delhi's Economic Survey for 2025-26 records a sharp rise in electric buses in the public transport fleet — from 400 in April 2023 to 1,686 in April 2024, 2,150 in April 2025 and 4,338 by March 2026.

The Hindustan Times reported that by March 2026, the DTC/transport fleet included 4,338 electric buses, while the remaining ageing CNG buses were expected to be retired during 2026.

DEVi buses add another layer

Delhi's electric transition also includes smaller buses designed to improve neighbourhood and last-mile connectivity.

The Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVi) uses 9-metre electric buses to connect residential areas with Metro stations and major transport points. The initiative is intended to address shorter intra-city journeys and improve connections to the wider public transport network.

This means the electric transition is not simply about replacing one type of large bus with another. It is also changing the structure of the network, with smaller electric vehicles being used for feeder and neighbourhood services.

Why Delhi buses have so many colours

The changing colours have also become a part of the city's visual identity.

Earlier reporting has identified several bus colours currently or recently associated with different services: green for standard non-AC buses, red and indigo for AC services, orange for cluster buses and blue for electric buses.

Transport experts have debated whether such differences help commuters identify services or make the network visually confusing.

One argument is that colours should primarily communicate useful information — such as whether a service is AC, non-AC or serves a particular function — rather than changing simply with different generations of buses.

A shift in ownership and operation

The retirement of the last red AC low-floor DTC bus also represents a change beyond colour and technology.

According to the latest report, the retired bus was the last vehicle wholly owned and operated by DTC. The corporation's current buses are being operated under contracts involving concessionaires.

This reflects the growing role of gross-cost and concessionaire-based models in Delhi's bus system. Under the cluster scheme, for example, private fleet operators are paid according to operational parameters rather than relying directly on fare-box revenue.

What the electric transition means for Delhi commuters

For passengers, the colour change is only the visible part of a much larger transition.

The move from conventional CNG buses to electric vehicles is accompanied by changes in vehicle design, accessibility, onboard technology and depot infrastructure. Delhi has also been working on route rationalisation and last-mile connectivity, with the transport department collaborating with IIT Delhi and DIMTS on bus-route planning.

The transformation is therefore about more than replacing an old fleet. It is an attempt to reshape how buses fit into Delhi's wider public transport network.

From yellow-green high-floor buses to red and green low-floor CNG vehicles, orange cluster buses and now electric blue buses, the changing colours of Delhi's buses tell the story of a public transport system that has repeatedly adapted to the city's needs.

For many commuters, however, the yellow-and-green DTC bus will remain a symbol of an earlier Delhi — even as electric buses increasingly define the Capital's roads.