SC posers to AAP govt on procurement of 2k standard-floor buses

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked probing questions to the AAP government and the DTC over their intention to purchase 2,000 standard-floor cluster buses, which are not friendly to differently-abled persons. The top court asked the AAP government to explain by tomorrow, whether it intends to make these cluster buses friendly to differently-abled persons by fitting them with hydraulic lifts.

The Delhi government informed the court that a tender floated on March 16 by the DTC for procurement of 1,000 standard-floor buses is most likely to be scrapped as only one bidder has come forward.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan was told by the government that it would fit hydraulic lifts in each bus for wheel chair bound differently abled persons, which would entail a total cost of around Rs 80-90 crores. "The first question is why are you purchasing these buses which are not according to the harmonized guidelines. It is understandable that cluster buses would be plying in rural areas or sub-urban areas where the road conditions are not good, then why is the DTC going to purchase the 1,000 buses," the bench asked.

The top court, further questioned as to why all 2,000 buses are standard-floor buses and not low-floor buses.

"If you would have said that 1,000 or 1,500 low-floor buses are being purchased and rest buses you are not able to procure. Then this argument is acceptable. But you want all 2,000 buses as standard-floor is not acceptable," the bench said.

Senior advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government and the DTC said he had spoken to the transport minister who informed him that a decision has been taken to purchase additional 500 low-floor buses which will be friendly to differently abled persons. He said that this decision of procuring additional 500 buses will be placed before the cabinet soon, as government intends to increase the fleet of public transport buses.

Mehta argued that the high court had erred in staying the tender for purchase of 2,000 standard-floor buses as they have met all required criterions.

"According to the Delhi High Court order, only low floor public transport buses can be procured all over the country after the December 15, 2017 verdict of apex court on making transport disable friendly," he said, adding that at present Delhi has a fleet of 5,400 buses, including cluster buses, and there is urgent need to augment the public transport bus fleet.

The senior lawyer pointed out that the "Harmonious Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Elder Persons" was issued by the Ministry of Urban Development and not the Ministry of Road and Transport.

He said that the high court has relied on these harmonized guidelines to stay the tenders for procurement of standard-floor buses.