The service will begin this month
– Photo : Amar Ujala
Expansion
Buses will soon start operating under the Delhi government’s ambitious premium bus aggregator scheme. The Delhi Transport Department had given the license to Impulse in February. Now the license has been issued to Uber. Officials have expressed hope that premium buses will start running on the roads in June.
According to the officials of the Transport Department, so far many major companies have shown interest in this scheme and have submitted documents. Out of these, licenses have been issued to Impulse and Uber. At present, other companies are also in touch with the Transport Department. The companies which have got the license have to bring the first fleet of 25 buses on the road. The operators will decide the route and fare of the bus themselves and the fare will have to be taken through digital medium. Seats for the buses will be booked in advance. Passengers will be guaranteed a seat in the buses. Standing travel will not be allowed in the buses. All safety arrangements will have to be made in the buses and skilled drivers will have to be appointed.
Six cab companies also got license
Six companies including Uber and Ola have been given licenses so far under the Delhi government’s cab aggregator scheme. A portal for this scheme will also be launched soon.
Minimum fare may be higher than DTC buses
The maximum fare of DTC’s AC buses is Rs 25, while the minimum fare of premium buses will be Rs 25. The maximum fare will be decided according to the demand in the market. Officials say that after a fixed fare is fixed, it will be allowed to be decided according to the market. However, the minimum fare will not be less than the maximum fare of DTC buses. In case of change in fare, the bus operator will have to display it in advance on the app or web portal. At the same time, if the booking has to be cancelled due to any unforeseen incident, the fare will have to be refunded to the passenger immediately. For this, a car can also be arranged instead of a bus. If this is not done, action will be taken under the Motor Vehicles Act.
Facilities in premium buses
- There will be GPS and CCTV cameras
- Standing travel will not be allowed
- Helpline number will have to be given for passenger complaints
- Any change in route must be informed on the portal and website seven days in advance
- Rent will be paid through digital mode only
