NEW DELHI: In a significant move that will benefit the public transport users of Delhi, the Delhi Cabinet led by CM Arvind Kejriwal approved the grant of 10 per cent discount in fares to the commuters of DTC and Cluster buses on purchase of bus tickets through contactless ticketing mobile phone apps.
Delhi government's contactless ticketing app has been undergoing extensive trials under a Special Task force constituted for the same, since July 2020 and initial trials have shown that tickets booked through the app account for 6 per cent of total ticketing being done. In addition to e-ticketing, the App also contains real time information and ETA of buses, information about the nearest available EV charging stations. Passengers can also book pink tickets and passes using this app by just scanning the QR Code inside the bus and select ticket fare or source and destination stop. The app is available in English and Hindi.
Transport Minister of Delhi, Kailash Gahlot commenting on the decision, said "Delhi Government in the past few years, has been striving to revolutionize how public transport is perceived in the country. Today's decision is a welcome step especially in the middle of the ongoing pandemic, to reduce spread through surface contact. When we launched the Common mobility card in 2018, we saw a large number of private car users shift to public transport. I'm hoping that state of the art buses, with increased surveillance and safety features, and right incentives like the ones we're offering through e-ticketing apps and Common Mobility card, will be a much-needed push for Delhiites to adopt public transport as their default mode of transport"
Delhi has a combined (DTC and cluster) fleet size of 6,750 and witnesses an average daily ridership of 49 lakh passengers, the government said.