Transport dept making prototypes for nearly 1,400 bus shelters

NEW DELHI: The transport department of Delhi government has started working on making the prototype of nearly 1,397 bus shelters across Delhi. The government has also initiated its work on two bus depots specifically to keep the electric buses and to develop infrastructure for charging these buses. In both the projects, the PWD department has been given the responsibility to set up the depots along with the power department and discoms for the infrastructure of the e-charging.

"After the approval of the proposal that from now onwards the Delhi government will maintain the bus shelters as we did not get any private partner to help us. The onus of making the prototypes for all these bus shelters is on the PWD department. The prototype is the first draft structure and design of the shelters. After the prototypes are approved, then the final work of making these shelters will start," said a senior official.

Earlier, the government floated various tenders asking the private partners to come forward and take the responsibility to set up these shelters but no private partner showed any interest to make or maintain these shelters in the last few years, hence the plan to make these shelters got delayed.

"Protection, innovation, security and quality maintenance are the key aspects of our goal to make these bus shelters. Delhi needs at least 1,400 bus shelters but as of now we are working on nearly 1,397 bus shelters," said an official. He added that the government set aside Rs 150 crore budget allocation for these bus queue shelters. "The government has taken the decision that from this time we will not depend on any private partner but the work would be fully done and monitored by the Delhi government itself," said an official.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has initiated the work to develop two depots with the infrastructure of e-charging for the e-buses. The Delhi government has already floated the tender for 1000 e-buses. The deadline for these buses to hit the road has been given from January to April 2019. "The department decided to build e-charging infrastructure at two cluster bus shelter at Rohini sector 37 and Mundelan Kalan," said an official.

According to the senior officials of the transport department, to keep and charge the e-buses in Delhi, the city will require e-charging infrastructure at six bus depots at least.

"The transport commissioner held a meeting with the PWD officials and the power department. Both the power and the PWD department will work together with the transport department to make the e-charging infrastructure," said the official.

The officials said that nearly Rs 82.40 crore would be required to make the full infrastructure of the e-charging of the e-buses in Delhi. However, the money is yet to be sanctioned after the scrutiny of the proposal by all the concerned departments.