The cabinet of the Delhi government chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has given approval for procurement of buses.
The decision to procure 1,000 new cluster buses in Delhi was again in the news on Friday after the Delhi deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia briefed about cabinet decision to the media. Sisodia said that the cabinet of the Delhi government chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has given approval for procurement of buses.
While briefing about the cabinet decision, Sisodia said, “I am happy to announce that the cabinet has given the in-principle nod for procurement of 1,000 standard floor buses. It is after seven years in Delhi that the cabinet has approved the successful tender.”
Delhi transport minister, Kailash Gahlot not only lauded AAP led Delhi government’s announcement but also shared some new features which have been added on the proposed buses.
Gahlot said, “A panic button would be placed behind every third seat of the bus and three CCTV cameras would also be installed to ensure women security in Delhi transport buses.”
Later, when City Spidey spoke to its sources, they said it was an in-principle approval from the government which is just filling a procedure with a fresh announcement. The sources alleged that the government has not fixed any deadline for procurement of the buses.
An official in Delhi transport department said, “This kind of approval was also given earlier but the main issue was maintenance charges of these proposed buses. Private agencies associated with the government for operating buses have time and again refused to operate more buses until the government get ready to bear maintenance cost.”
He added, “The maintenance charges of buses operating at present in the city are borne by the agencies. Despite in-principal approval from the cabinet, there was still no clarity about who will bear the maintenance charges.”
The official added, “The government has been facing criticism for not procuring buses from last four years. In last four years, only 1,000 buses have been added. As per the official report, Delhi has a shortage of 6,000 buses at present. Currently, 3,781 buses are being operated by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and 1,648 buses by Cluster (Yellow buses).
