New bus queue shelters in Delhi to be vandal-proof: Kailash Gahlot

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has said the new bus queue shelters with digital screens to display bus routes will be theft-proof and vandal-proof.

Presenting the Delhi Budget 2023-24 in the assembly on Wednesday, the minister had announced the AAP government's plans to construct 1,400 new and modern bus queue shelters (BQS) across the national capital.

"Besides providing a comfortable waiting area for bus commuters, these bus shelters will also have a static display of bus routes and digital screens displaying the arrival time of buses. In view of the G20 summit in Delhi, we will complete this work in a phased manner," he had said.

Talking to PTI on Thursday, Gahlot noted that these shelters will be made vandal-proof among concerns over the safety of digital screens.

"Those who need to steal will steal any which ways. But we will try and make it theft-proof and vandal-proof. Our buses have CCTV cameras and video recording systems, but they come in such a kind of casing that they cannot be opened easily," he said.

The focus of the Delhi Budget is on "clean, beautiful and modern Delhi" in the lead up to the G20 New Delhi Summit.

Asked about the focus on any specific project in the wake of the G20 summit, the transport minister said, "Infrastructure projects have a good gestation period. Our focus is clean, beautiful and modern Delhi. We will try to get the work started. Every project is our priority.

"For instance, work on the multi-level bus depot is in advance stage and the tender of one at Vasant Vihar has been done and the work on the same may start in the next couple of months. We have already done much on the bus queue shelters," he said.

On whether the transport department will provide electric buses for delegates visiting the city for the Summit, Gahlot said, "We have not received any request so far for e-buses. We will definitely provide buses to the Centre if they are required for any G20 event related purpose as we have been doing in the past. We have to strike a balance and ensure that commuters are not inconvenienced."

He added that 100 buses of Delhi Transport Department are used by the city police force currently.