Delhi govt to seek public opinion on app-based bus service

Six days after the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung red-flagged an app-based premium bus service scheme, the Delhi government has decided to seek public opinion on the implementation of the scheme.

Public Works Department Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain said that government will issue an email-id in next three to four days through which people can send their opinions and suggestions on the app-based premium bus service to it.

Jain said that the implementation of the app-based premium bus service scheme has been put on hold for now after the Lt Governor refused to give his nod to the project.

Asked about the time-period of people opinion, he said the government has not fixed any date for the same. Sources said that after receiving the public opinion, government will send them to the Lt Governor.

"By saying that this (app-based premium bus service scheme) cannot be implemented in Delhi because there is no such scheme in any state of the country, this is not excuse of not giving nod to this project," Jain said.

"There are a lot of things the Delhi Government is doing for the first time, including mohalla clinics and others," he further said.

The Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi Government has launched a probe into the premium bus service scheme notified by the Arvind Kejriwal government on the complaint of Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, who alleged that the government is trying to benefit a Gurgaon-based private bus aggregator.

The premium bus service was scheduled to be launched on June 1 with registration of buses under the scheme through which people can book their seats on the lines of app-based cab aggregators in the national capital.

Only air-conditioned buses would ply under the scheme according to which one bus aggregator will have to run at least 50 vehicles to get a licence from Delhi government's Transport Department.