The Delhi Transport Corporation on Sunday launched an express bus service in the Capital on the lines of the chartered service being provided by the private sector.
The 200 modern low-floor CNG buses were flagged off by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at the India Gate lawns. Transport Minister Arvinder Singh, Transport Commissioner R. K. Verma and DTC Chairman and Managing Director Naresh Kumar were present.
Describing it as an important milestone in enhancing passenger comfort as it would discourage people from using their personal vehicles, Ms. Dikshit said with less number of private vehicles on the roads, the city would get substantial relief from pollution.
The buses inducted into the DTC fleet include 54-air-conditioned and 90 non-air-conditioned buses for express service. The remaining buses will be deployed on city service. With the induction of 200 buses, the DTC fleet has now gone up to 4,931. Till now there were 294 low-floor AC, 1,758 low-floor non-AC and 2,679 CNG standard buses. There are in all 2,052 low-floor CNG buses. With the increase in the DTC fleet, the phasing out of Blueline buses would become a reality.
Reasonable fare
Ms. Dikshit said the fare structure of the express service was reasonable with Rs.20 per trip in non-AC and Rs.30 per trip in AC buses. The DTC will not introduce more buses in this service once it gets an encouraging response. The DTC is committed to enhance satisfaction level of its passengers, she added.
The Chief Minister said 72 routes have been indentified for the chartered bus service so that the new service could be offered in almost all major localities of the city. The buses on the express routes will ply five days a week -- Monday through Friday -- and these will not be available on gazetted holidays. For the convenience of regular passengers monthly passes will be offered at the rate of Rs.900 in case of non-AC buses and Rs.1,100 in case of AC buses.
The DTC intends to provide free newspapers and magazines to the commuters in the buses.
Transport Minister Arvinder Singh said the express service is non-stop though the buses will pick up passengers from all bus stops within 4 km of the starting point and will run super fast to the destinations. The service will remain available during morning and evenings. The four trips on a route will start between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and two trips in evenings between 5-30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The routes will cover government office complexes and commercial hubs including CGO Complex, Central Secretariat, ITO, AIIMS, ISBT, Connaught Place, and Nehru Place and originate from colonies such as Dwarka, Vikaspuri, Rohini, Shalimar Bagh, R.K.Puram, Vasant Vihar, Hauz Khas, Mehrauli, Nand Nagri, Sarita Vihar, Mayur Vihar, Vivek Vihar and Anand Vihar. The service will also cover Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida in the National Capital Region.
Passes will not be issued for the buses covering NCR towns and fare will be applicable as per inter-State service.
Express buses originating from Dwarka Sector 14, Sector 18A, Vasant Kunj Sector-A, Sector D-7, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, Saket, Hamdard Nagar, Tara Apartment, Mehrauli, Priya Cinema, Avantika Sector-1, Rohini Sector-16, Sector-18, Shalimar Bagh, Vikaspuri and Uttam Nagar will terminate at Shivaji Stadium. Buses coming from Avantika Sector-1, Rohini Sector-16, Sector-18, Dwarka Sector-10, Sector-12, Shalimar Bagh, Vikaspuri, Mayur Vihar III, Seemapuri and Vivek Vihar will lead to CGO complex.
Buses terminating at Nehru Place will originate from Anand Vihar ISBT, Nand Nagri, Yamuna Vihar, Mayur Vihar-III, Dwarka Sector-23, Sector 17-A, Rohini Sector-16, Avantika Sector-01 whereas buses coming from Avantika Sector-1, Rohini Sector-13, Vivek Vihar, Mayur Vihar-III, Uttam Nagar, Dwarka Sector-19 and Sector-14 will proceed to AIIMS.
Buses originating from Vasant Vihar, R.K. Puram Sector-2, Sector 7/8, Sangam Cinema, Anand Vihar ISBT, Vivek Vihar, Seemapuri and Nand Nagari terminal will terminate at Kendriya Terminal. For buses leading Mori Gate terminal starting points will be Badarpur MB Road, Mehrauli, RK Puram Sector-1 and Uttam Nagar terminal whereas buses terminating at ISBT will start from Hamdard Nagar, Rohini Sector-22, Jehangirpuri, Anand Vihar ISBT and Sarita Vihar.
Twelve routes will lead to ITO originating from Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Mehrauli and Rohini Sector-22, Sector-11 Avantika, R.K. Puram Sector-2, Dwarka Sector-19, Sector-23, Kapasera Border and Vikaspuri.
