App-based bus plan to go before Delhi cabinet soon

Under the new policy, the transport department will provide aggregator licence to operators who will need to operate a fleet of minimum 50 premium buses

Residents in Delhi can soon book a seat on an air-conditioned premium bus on their smartphone to travel anywhere within NCR — along the lines of private cab aggregators.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, while introducing the scheme on May 8 this year, said that the objective was to reduce the usage of private vehicles for commute within the National Capital Region (NCR) by making available a premium bus service. (ANI)

A senior transport department official said that the draft policy is ready and it has been reviewed by the transport department and minister. The final draft will be tabled before the chief minister, who will send it to the lieutenant governor VK Saxena for his approval.

When asked transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that he has reviewed the draft policy and “there were not many changes”.

The transport official said that the draft policy is likely to be put up for the state cabinet chaired by chief minister’s Arvind Kejriwal’s his approval “within a week”.

The Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023 — aims to fulfil the demand for a premium bus service in the national capital by engaging private operators and aggregators.

Kejriwal, while introducing the scheme on May 8 this year, said that the objective was to reduce the use of private vehicles for commute within the National Capital Region (NCR) by making available a premium bus service.

Officials said that under the new policy, the transport department will provide aggregator license to operators who will need to operate and maintain a fleet of minimum 50 premium buses, starting within 90 days from the day of grant of licence.

According to officials, the scheme defines a “premium bus” as a luxury public service vehicle having seating capacity of more than 12 passengers with air conditioning, WiFi, GPS, CCTV, panic button, 2x2 seating arrangement and reclining seats.

Officials added that operators will have to pay a licence fee of ₹5 lakh for five years that will be renewed at a cost of ₹2,500 annually. There will be a security deposit of ₹1 lakh for using the bus queue shelters of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for pick-up and drop of passengers, they said. Officials said that the operator should also have prior experience of operating a fleet of a minimum of 100 passenger buses during the last three financial years.

No physical tickets will be issued and the fare will be collected only through digital payment mode, officials added. The operator can also determine the route, destination and fares that will need to be displayed in advance on the app.

Meanwhile, experts are positive over the prospects of such a public transport scheme. “Among users of public transport, those who opt for it by choice prioritise quality, comfort, flexibility, among other factors, and are willing to pay more for these amenities. Delhi’s app-based bus service is a prime example of a service that can attract choice users. The success of this scheme can foster innovation within the public transport service industry,” said Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council of Clean Transport (ICCT).