Delhi notifies premium bus aggregator scheme to encourage public transport

In a move towards providing more convenient and reliable public transportation in the national capital, the Delhi government on Tuesday notified its premium bus aggregator policy.

The newly notified Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme 2023 aims to motivate residents to shift from their private vehicles to comfortable bus services for travel within the city.

Under the policy, an aggregator will receive a five-year licence to operate these buses. Licence holders will have the authority to fix fares specific to routes. While dynamic pricing is permitted, the base fare must not fall below the peak fare of DTC AC buses. To ensure customer convenience, only digital pre-booked ticketing is allowed.

The policy's primary objective is to incentivize the upper middle class to transition towards utilising public transportation services. In line with this directive, the forthcoming premium buses are slated to feature a range of amenities, including air conditioning, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS navigation, CCTV surveillance, panic buttons, and a 2 x 2 seating arrangement, with optional reclining seats available.

The regulations specify that electric premium buses will be exempt from licence fees. However, for applicants other than e-bus operators, the rules outline a fee structure for licence grants.

These applicants are required to pay a total of Rs 5 lakh along with an interest-free security deposit. The security deposit amounts to Rs 1 lakh for 100 buses, Rs 2.5 lakh for 1,000 buses, and Rs 5 lakh for fleets comprising more than 1,000 buses.