Delhi government to introduce new premium private buses where commuters can book their seats on buses through mobile apps

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that the Delhi government will introduce high-end private buses in the city, with seats on these buses able to be reserved using smartphone applications. This is part of a strategy to entice car owners to utilize public transport. According to officials with knowledge of the situation, the bus service would begin after all required clearances have been obtained, adding that no specific date has been set.

Kejriwal explained the initiative, stating that the Delhi Motor Vehicles Licencing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023 envisions a premium intra-city bus service with higher fares than other buses, including those owned or run by the state government's Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). It will also allow app-based bookings, have no standing passengers, and have no standing passengers.

According to Kejriwal, the buses would either be fueled by CNG or electricity and come with important safety measures like CCTV, GPS, and emergency buttons, among others. Kejriwal claimed they will also have WiFi capabilities. He cited the development of the Delhi Metro more than 20 years ago as a turning point in the development of the city's public transport system. With almost 3.5 million daily users, Delhi's buses continue to be the city's most well-liked mode of public transport despite the growth of the Metro service. Delhi's Metro system has 4.5 million daily users on average. Approximately 7,200 buses are now operating in the Capital under DTC and the cluster plan.

By 2025, the state government wants to double the fleet's size to 11,000 vehicles and have 80% of Delhi's public buses be electric. Importantly, authorities who are aware of the scheme indicated that women will not be given free tickets on the premium buses. The Delhi administration has previously suggested a similar programme. It first authorised a plan for a deluxe bus service in May 2016, but Najeeb Jung, the lieutenant governor at the time, rejected it.

Whiteline buses operated in Delhi between 2000 and 2012, connecting fixed locations inside the city as well as between Delhi and Noida. They were private buses that followed a directive from the government. They were private buses that followed a directive from the government. They followed a set itinerary and were incredibly well-liked by those going between Noida and Delhi as well as office commuters.

On Monday, Kejriwal noted an increase in car traffic and stated that even the Metro is jam-packed during peak hours, forcing people to utilise private automobiles. Experts have added that concerns about illness on public transport have also led some people to use or purchase their own automobiles.

Undoubtedly, a few private companies in the Capital currently run intercity buses and provide travellers first-rate bus services across Delhi-NCR. These buses, which can be reserved using mobile applications, mostly serve office workers. As opposed to DTC buses, which run on eight NCR lines, they have a higher fare and cover more routes. At the moment, Delhi has 7,379 public buses operating on more than 600 bus routes (3,319 cluster buses and 4,060 DTC buses), including 300 electric buses.

According to Kejriwal, all buses must have a standardised, color-coded logo, and the bus aggregator would be permitted to place advertisements inside the vehicle and make money off of those sales. Aggregators will be permitted to map bus routes independently under the plan, but they must give the government accurate information.