Delhi government releases notification of draft scheme for premium bus service

The Delhi government on Saturday published a notification of the draft scheme for the premium bus service, which, it expects, will encourage people from middle and upper-middle classes to use public transport.

The air-conditioned buses will have safety features such as CCTV cameras and panic buttons, and seats can be booked online through an app.

In the beginning of this month, a proposal for introducing premium buses on Delhi's roads through private aggregators was sent to Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena for his approval.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that after the LG's approval, the scheme will be shared for feedback from the public.

The notification of the draft 'Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023' has been released in the public domain for suggestions and objections of the stakeholders, the government said.

"The draft scheme is for premium buses operated under a valid aggregator license granted by the Transport Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, to operate within the national capital territory of Delhi," the notification said.

The "draft scheme will be taken into consideration on or after expiry of 30 days from the date of its publication of the notification in Delhi Gazette together with any objections or suggestions that may be received" by the stipulated period, it said.

The notification said any objections or suggestions regarding the premium bus scheme can be addressed to the principal secretary-cum-commissioner (transport), through post or email.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said premium buses equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons and air conditioning, will encourage people from middle and upper-middle classes to use public transport.

The ticket prices for these buses will be higher than those of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fares, depending on the demand and supply. Hence, there will be no provision for free travel for women, he had said.

The scheme stipulates that no bus older than three years will be used by the aggregators and buses purchased after January 1, 2024 will be electric.