Delhi govt forms panel to fix routes, services for 'mohalla' bus scheme

Delhi govt has constituted an eight-member expert technical committee for deciding routes and operational characteristics of 'mohalla' bus scheme, according to an official order issued by department

The Delhi government has constituted an eight-member expert technical committee for deciding routes and operational characteristics of the 'mohalla' bus scheme, according to an official order issued by the transport department.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led government plans to introduce 100 'mohalla' (community) buses in Delhi soon. These buses will serve narrow and crowded roads and poorly connected residential as well as commercial hubs, ensuring last-mile connectivity.

The committee has been constituted by Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, DTC MD Shilpa Shinde, who also holds the charge of Special Commissioner (Cluster) said in the order issued on May 16.

The expert technical committee will submit its recommendations to the transport department within three weeks from the date of the constitution of the committee, the order said.

"The scope of work of the expert technical committee has inter-alia included nature of Mohalla bus services, pervasive branding, route length, fare, frequency and any other aspect deemed appropriate to the committee to recommend," it said.

These community buses will be specifically designed to cater to areas with narrow roads or areas that are too crowded for regular 12-metre buses to operate. The scheme aims to deploy nine-metre-long electric buses.

In a tweet, Gahlot said, "The govt of CM @ArvindKejriwal will leave no stone unturned to ensure the upcoming Mohalla bus scheme serves the last mile connectivity needs of all. Today an expert technical committee has been constituted to design all aspects of the Mohalla bus scheme in 3 weeks."

The service was announced in this year's budget by Gahlot, who also holds the finance portfolio. The initiative is a step forward towards a more sustainable and accessible transportation system in the national capital.

The committee is led by CK Goyal, senior VP (RT), Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS), and has a member each from DTC, DMRC, International Council on Clean Transport (ICCT), two members from WRI, a representative from MapmyIndia and a fellow from the transport department.