Delhi govt asks MLAs to suggest routes for mohalla buses

Several MLAs have submitted details of the courses, which will be included in the mohalla bus routes, catering to the need of people of the areas that the legislators represent in Delhi assembly

The Delhi transport department is seeking suggestions from MLAs to decide the routes of mohalla buses that will serve the maximum number of people. Mohalla buses comprise 9-metre-long government vehicles to facilitate neighbourhhood connectivity in areas that are not linked well by the existing public fleet, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that the routes will be finalised in alignment with the suggestions given by the MLAs.

Several MLAs have submitted details of the courses, which will be included in the mohalla bus routes, catering to the need of people of the areas that the legislators represent in Delhi assembly.

“Suggestions from many MLAs have been received... The (chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal government will try to accommodate the suggestions to make the best routes for mohalla buses. The routes will be finalised in alignment with the suggestions given by the MLAs. The MLAs know the areas well and the requirements of public transport in their areas, and their suggestions will lead to optimum utilisation of buses,” said transport minister Kailash Gahlot.

“The last-mile connectivity is an excellent scheme designed by the (chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal government. The expenses incurred in the last-mile connectivity exhaust a significant amount of people’s daily earning to commute to their workplaces every day. I have suggested three routes in my constituency that will benefit around 1 lakh commuters every day,” said Rajendra Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak.

The routes suggested by Pathak aimed to connect various populated neighbourhoods in his constituency with the Metro stations. The inputs included linking Inderpuri to Naraina Metro and Mayapuri, and connecting other areas, including Budh Nagar, Todapur and Dashghara. The route verification was recently done in Rajendra Nagar, he added.

The Mohalla Bus Scheme aims to deploy 9-metre-long electric buses for neighbourhood or feeder services, with a plan to introduce 2,180 such buses by 2025. The scheme focuses on areas with limited road width or record overcrowding, and also to enhance last-mile connectivity. Currently, the government is operating 100 buses acquired from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), with the goal of expanding this fleet to improve connectivity further.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Malviya Nagar constituency Somnath Bharti said that in his constituency, Metro stations are away from populated neighbourhoods. “This poses a challenge to people to reach the Metro stations. The mohalla buses should be an answer to this problem,” said Bharti.

The Delhi government is in the last phase of finalising the mohalla bus scheme. A team of 32 officials has been formed, divided into four zones, with each zone having two teams of four officials, who have been tasked to go on-site to understand the practical challenges of operating 9-metre mohalla buses on these routes in Delhi.

AAP MLA from Burari Sanjeev Jha said that he proposed four routes for the mohalla bus scheme. “A large number of people from different areas of Burari go to Azadpur every day for work. I have suggested a route from Janta Vihar roundabout to Azadpur, from Maharana Pratap Chowk to Netaji Subhash Place via Azadpur,” said Jha. The other routes suggested by him include providing bus connectivity to Shalimar Place, Nathupura and Jagatpur.

An official said the suggestions from the MLAs will be reviewed by the transport department when it finalises the routes.

The transport department in July started a trial of the mohalla bus services on two routes — Pradhan Enclave Pusta to Majlis Park Metro Station, and Akshardham Metro Station to Mayur Vihar Phase-III Paper Market.

An official said positive feedback was received from the users during the trial period in July.