Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that his government is sending a premium scheme for bus services on roads to be introduced through private aggregators for Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's approval. Kejriwal said he sent the proposals for the scheme hoping that they will be approved. He also said the buses will be equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons and will be air-conditioned. The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party further said he wants to encourage the middle and upper middle classes to use public transport, reported news agency PTI.
During a press conference, he said, "Following the LG's approval, we will share the policy online for seeking public feedback," as quoted by PTI. Kejriwal further said, "The policy stipulates that no bus older than three years will be used by aggregators. Buses purchased after January 1, 2024, will be electric.”
Meanwhile, the seats on these buses will be booked through an app and the booking prices for them will be higher than those of DTC tickets. However, the prices will be kept as per the market situation and standards.
Kejriwal also mentioned that there will be no provision for free travel for women on these buses.
There is a large number of cars, scooters, and other vehicles on the roads of Delhi and the Delhi Chief Minister said that he wants to ensure that public transport in the national capital is as per world standards.
"Delhi is the capital of our country and our public transport should be world-class and at par with foreign cities. If we want to get people to use public transport, we should make public transport safe, comfortable and punctual,” he said
Kejriwal said the commencement of the Delhi Metro led to the biggest revolution in the national capital and highlighted how it “reduced the number of vehicles reduced on roads,” as quoted by PTI.
However, the metro has also become crowded and people have started using private vehicles again. Therefore cluster buses and DTC buses are available but they are restricted to the lower middle class.