CM Atishi inspects new Mohalla buses, promises improved last-mile connectivity in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Atishi inspected 150 new Mohalla buses at the Kushak Nala depot here on Tuesday and promised to improve last-mile connectivity in the national capital in line with the AAP dispensation's commitment to building world-class public transport infrastructure.
The Mohalla Bus Scheme is designed to provide efficient feeder services. Each of these nine-metre electric buses can seat 23 passengers and has a standing capacity of 13. Specifically designed to navigate the narrow and congested roads of Delhi, these buses have 25 per cent of seats reserved for women.
In a post on X, Atishi described the Mohalla buses as a "game changer" for public transport in Delhi.
"Today I inspected these electric low-floor mohalla buses at the Kushak Nala depot. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, these buses can run up to 200 kilometres with just an hour of charging. In the next two weeks, 150 Mohalla buses will hit the roads, and 2,140 such buses will connect every colony of Delhi by 2025," she said.
Atishi further emphasised that the initiative aligns with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s commitment to building world-class public transport infrastructure under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"Currently, Delhi operates a fleet of 1,940 electric buses, making it the second-largest city globally in electric bus deployment. Delhi will soon become the leader in sustainable urban transport with the largest electric bus fleet," she said.
The green-coloured buses, easily identifiable for commuters, can travel more than 200 kilometres on a single charge, which takes only 45 minutes.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
