Pink tickets with CM pic for free bus ride scheme

The Delhi government has approved the design of the pink tickets that will be issued to women as part of its free bus ride scheme, to be launched on October 29.

The Delhi government has approved the design of the pink tickets that will be issued to women as part of its free bus ride scheme, to be launched on October 29.

HT Image

As on Saturday, the proposed tickets will have the face of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal printed on them. BJP leader of opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta said he would protest against the ticket’s design on Monday.

“We will take the issue up with the lieutenant governor,” said Gupta. “During her tenure, former Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit too had had her photo printed on ration cards in the city. However, we saw it as a misuse of power, protested against it and forced her to get it removed.”

With the elections to the state assembly expected to be scheduled for early 2020, the model code of conduct too could be brought into play.

The approval for the design was taken during a meeting chaired by transport minister Kailash Gahlot where he reviewed the preparation of various stakeholders for the free ride scheme and also for the odd-even road space rationing drive. The odd-even drive will be enforced in Delhi from November 4-15.

Also decided was to deploy around 12,200 marshals will be deployed in all state-run 5,500 buses in the city from October 29.

For the odd-even drive, the traffic police informed that it will deploy teams at 200 locations across the city which includes borders and key intersections. Besides, the revenue department of the government will also depute 4,400 civil defence volunteers at these points to spread awareness of the odd-even drive and request violators to turn back their cars.

Violating the odd-even drive will attract a penalty of Rs 4,000 this time which is double of what was charged during the previous two editions held in January and April, 2016.

As for the marshals who will be deployed in buses, a government official said around 3,200 marshals are already deployed in buses. “Out of the 9,000 more who are being brought in for the remaining buses, around 5,000 will be from the Home Guard. The remaining will be filled by ex-servicemen and civil defence volunteers,” said an official.

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