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Delhi

HC allows Delhi govt to procure 500 standard-floor buses

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday removed all hurdles in the Delhi government's procurement of 500 standard-floor buses (SFBs) as it dismissed all petitions against the Delhi Cabinet's decision and rejected all arguments against the move, which it had stayed earlier.

"Delhi High Court removes all hurdles in the procurement of buses in Delhi. The court has dismissed all petitions against the Delhi cabinet decision and rejected all arguments against the procurement. The HC had earlier stayed the procurement," a Delhi government spokesperson said on Twitter.

The court allowed the Aam Aadmi Party-led government to purchase 500 SFBs that can ply on the Capital's outskirts where the roads are in poor condition.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao, however, said these buses should have hydraulic lifts, which will help differently-abled people easily board and deboard.

The bench dismissed the petition by a differently-abled person, Nipun Malhotra, who had filed two PILs challenging the Delhi government and the DTC's decision to buy SFBs instead of low floor buses (LFBs).

He had contended that SFBs are not disabled-friendly, as they were mounted on a truck chassis, and their height made it difficult for the disabled to board the vehicle.

Malhotra's counsel Jai Dehadrai said he would challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

The government and Delhi Transport Corporation had earlier told the high court that the SFBs proposed to be procured were disabled-friendly as they would have hydraulic lifts for easy access.

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