NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday disclosed that aggregators of air-conditioned luxury buses will be permitted to operate in the city.
The move aims to encourage greater use of public transportation while ensuring the comfort and safety of passengers. Kejriwal emphasized that these buses will not allow standing passengers, and seat reservations can only be made through a dedicated app using digital payments.
The primary objective behind this initiative is to alleviate road congestion and mitigate air pollution in the city. License holders for these services will be required to maintain a fleet of at least 25 buses. Furthermore, the government intends to transition to a more sustainable and eco-friendly model, with electric buses becoming mandatory in the fleet after 1.5 years of operation. The bus routes will be determined by the operators, and the fares must exceed the peak charges of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.
Arvind Kejriwal has stated that the proposal for this scheme will be sent to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for approval. The draft of the "Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023" was made available on the government's website in August, and public input was sought.
One of the key objectives of the scheme is to incentivize the middle and upper-middle classes to opt for public transport. The scheme also mandates that aggregators must prioritize the safety and security of female passengers. They are required to establish a rapid response mechanism, including a panic button on their mobile and web-based applications, which should be operational at all times. Moreover, these applications should have API-based integration with law enforcement agencies to ensure the swift resolution of complaints.
The government's larger goal, established in 2020, is to register five lakh new electric vehicles (EVs) within five years and to have 25 percent of all newly sold vehicles in Delhi be electric by 2025.
(With agency inputs)
