The Mohalla Bus scheme, earlier said to be launched by May-end, is expected to be further delayed as the Delhi Transport Department (DTC) is yet to finalise the route and other specifications of the scheme.
In a tweet, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said that the government will leave no stone unturned to ensure the upcoming Mohalla Bus scheme serves the last-mile connectivity needs of all. “An expert technical committee has been constituted to design all aspects of the scheme in three weeks”, he added.
The 9-metre buses under the scheme, designed to cater to areas with narrow roads or areas that are too crowded for the regular 12-metre buses to operate, was announced by Mr. Gahlot in the Delhi Budget 2023-24, was expected to start functioning by the end of the month. However, with the constitution of an eight-member committee that is expected to submit recommendations on the Mohalla Bus scheme to the Transport Department by the next three weeks, the scheme is unlikely to be operational by May-end.
The eight-member committee formed after the collaboration of the DTC and the International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT), is in charge of developing routes and operational characteristics for the Mohalla Bus scheme. The expert committee, led by C.K. Goyal, senior vice-president, Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), has members from the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), World Resource Institute (WRI), ICCT and MapmyIndia. The committee will look into the all-round planning of the scheme which includes nature of Mohalla Bus services, pervasive branding, route length, fare, frequency, and any other aspect deemed appropriate to the committee.
