Deregistration cuts vehicle count; public transport use climbs in Delhi

Delhiites have started travelling “greener and cleaner” over the last six years, according to the Economic Survey of Delhi 2025-26, tabled in the Assembly by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday. Data indicates that while the total number of private vehicles dropped due to deregistration, public transport reliance is at an all-time high.

Over the last five years, vehicles per 1,000 population have fallen from 655 in 2020-21 to 522 in 2025-26 so far. In 2020-21, there were 1.22 crore registered vehicles in Delhi. In 2025-26, this number stood at 87.61 lakh. “The sharp drop is primarily attributed to the large-scale deregistration of overage vehicles,” an official said. Two-wheelers form about 68% of the total registered vehicles in the Capital.

“GNCTD has banned Diesel Vehicles more than 10-year-old and Petrol Vehicles of more than 15-year-old hence deregistered 66,20,160 (66 lakh) vehicles upto 2025-26 (19th March 2026),” the survey states.

On the other hand, daily metro ridership in the city, including Airport and Rapid Metro lines, has risen rapidly over the last seven years. While in 2018-19, the average daily ridership was 25.9 lakh, the number grew to over 63 lakh in 2024-25. During this period, the length of the operational route remained the same.

DTC and cluster buses present a mixed picture. In 2019-20, DTC buses saw a total of 33.39 lakh passengers daily. For 2025-26, the number stands at 24.28 lakh. The number of daily passengers in cluster buses was 15.25 lakh in 2024-25. This number stood at 17.71 lakh in 2019-20. “This is because a lot of old buses have been phased out. Every month, we are getting over 100 EV buses,” an official said.

“As in March 2026, DTC & DoT has a fleet size of 6,100 buses, comprising 1,002 Non AC low floor (CNG) buses, 760 AC low floor (CNG) buses, 2,750 AC low floor (Electric-12 Mt.) and 1,588 AC low floor (Electric-9 Mt.) buses,” the survey read.

Meanwhile, the number of electric buses have also risen rapidly over the years. While in April 2021, Delhi had just two electric buses, the number rose to 4,338 by March this year. To support EVs, the Delhi government has also ramped up its charging infrastructure. As on March 19, there are a total of 4.7 lakh EVs registered in the NCT of Delhi.

“As on 31.03.2025, Delhi has 3,100 charging stations and 893 battery swapping stations across Delhi. 5.7 Electric Buses: In March 2026, the total number of electric buses including DTC + DOT were 4,338. Further, 1,610 buses (including 50 metro feeders) will be inducted by 2026-27,” the survey also states.

Aiming at ease of pedestrians, the Delhi government also has set a target of 16 foot overbridges during FY 26-27.