Delhi govt releases notification of draft scheme for Premium Bus Service

The Delhi government Saturday published a notification of the draft scheme for the premium bus service, which it hopes will encourage commuters from middle and upper-middle class to switch to public transport.

At the core of the scheme are air-conditioned buses with safety features such as CCTV cameras and panic buttons. Once launched, seats can be booked online through an app.

A proposal for the introduction of premium buses through private aggregators was sent to L-G VK Saxena for his approval earlier this month. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said the scheme will be put up to seek public feedback after the L-G’s approval.

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 stakeholders, the government stated.

As per the notification, the draft scheme is for premium buses operated under a valid aggregator licence granted by the transport department to operate within Delhi. It will be taken into consideration on or after expiry of 30 days during which any objections or suggestions regarding the scheme can be addressed to the principal secretary-cum-commissioner (transport), through post or email.

Ticket prices for these buses will be higher than those of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fares since these will depend on demand and supply, Kejriwal had stated.