Govt promises 3,000 new buses, 1,000 in premium segment

Quoting the mayor of Bogota, Enrique Penalosa, who popularised Bus Rapid Transit world over, deputy CM Manish Sisodia said a safe and efficient public transport system is the backbone of any urban economy.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said a safe and efficient public transport system is the backbone of any urban economy. He, however, did not mention how Delhi government failed to purchase a single bus to boost public transport last year.

DTC has 4,461 buses which include 3,781 low-floor buses and 680 standard floor buses. About 1,490 cluster buses are operational. (HT Photo)

In the last budget, the government had promised to procure 1,380 semi-low floor buses, 500 mini buses for DTC and another 1,000 buses under the cluster scheme.

Though that plan was shelved, the government has now proposed to procure 3,000 buses — 1,000 under cluster scheme, 1,000 non-ac under DTC and 1,000 premium buses under public private partnership. “The government is committed to provide a robust, sustainable, safe, accessible, integrated, multi-modal public transport system,” said Sisodia.

DTC has 4,461 buses which include 3,781 low-floor buses and 680 standard floor buses. About 1,490 cluster buses are operational. “Our government will also introduce 1,000 buses in the premium category through a purely market- driven model to encourage the financially well-off to use public transport. To accommodate these new buses, bus depots will be developed at Rewla Khanpur, Dichaun Kalan, Karkari Nahar, Bawana Sector-1 and Dwarka Sector-22. `325 crore for purchase of buses and development of bus terminals has been proposed,” he added.

The government has also increased the one-time fixed subsidy for e-rickshaw from existing `15,000 to `30,000. Electric vehicles have been exempted from road tax.