Delhi Cabinet approves proposal for study of bus route rationalisation

NEW DELHI: Considering the increasing demand of public transport system in the national capital, Delhi Government on Tuesday assigned the Integrated Multi Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) the task for the study of route rationalisation and last mile connectivity.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting which was chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"This study will help strengthening of public transport system to meet the increasing travel demand. The issue of buses, Gramin Sewa and RTVs not working optimally will also be solved after the study is done. The study will solve the problems of low frequency, inadequate coverage, crowding etc, resulting in customer satisfaction and better efficiency," said an official.

It is pertinent to mention that Delhi has a bus route network of approximately 16,000-kilometer length, which is covered through 657 designated bus routes. At present, nearly 346 bus routes are being operated out which 311 routes are non-functional or have irregular frequency.

The DTC is operating more than 3,000 buses in the city and has been the backbone of public after Delhi Metro services.

"The updated travel database and study will assist planners to understand the user needs and launch new schemes which will improve public transport system in the city," the official said.

"As per the proposal, the study will cover all bus routes of DTC, Cluster, RTV, Gramin Sewa and DMRC feeder bus system, chartered buses and will seek to develop criteria for delineation of operation area of electric rickshaw," he added.

DIMTS will also include detailed household travel survey (1 per cent of total households in Delhi as per existing survey norms) apart from planning all modes such as Standard Bus, Gramic Sewa, RTV, etc. Similarly it plans to conduct work place survey at Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Bahadurgarh to capture interaction of these cities with Delhi.

The rationalized routes would have better accessibility, a passenger information system at bus stops, an integrated bus schedule with the cluster buses and a route system that would feed Delhi Metro, making for seamless travel. The complete study is expected to be completed in total timeframe of six months.