New Delhi | A hydrogen-powered shuttle bus service was launched in Delhi's Central Vista area on Friday, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to people to reduce unnecessary expenditure and adopt sustainable practices.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, launched two hydrogen-powered buses for passenger services from the Central Secretariat Metro station at around 8:30 am, according to a statement.

The ceremonial keys of the buses were handed over to DMRC Director (Operations and Services) Dr Amit Kumar Jain by Indian Oil Corporation Director (Refinery) Arvind Kumar in the presence of senior officials from DMRC and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), it stated.

The service will operate on all working days from Monday to Friday, excluding gazetted holidays, during peak office hours between 8.30 am and 12.30 pm and again from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm, the statement said.

With a frequency of one bus every 30 minutes, one bus will run in the clockwise direction and the other in the anti-clockwise direction, covering key government offices and landmarks such as Kartavya Bhawan, Vigyan Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Akbar Road, Baroda House, National Stadium, National Gallery of Modern Art, India Gate, and Seva Teerth metro station.

Passengers will be able to pay fares through National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), UPI, and cash. The fare has been fixed at stage-wise rates of Rs 10 and Rs 15, the corporation said.

DMRC said the initiative aims to promote green hydrogen as a clean fuel alternative and strengthen environment-friendly public transport solutions in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 11, urged citizens to curb the use of fuel driven vehicles amid the global energy crises triggered by tensions in West Asia.

The prime minister suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro rail services in cities, car pooling, increased use of electric vehicles, utilising railway services for parcel movement, and working from home to conserve foreign exchange.