Delhi govt launches premium bus service to boost public transport

18 Oct 2023 CW Team

The Delhi government has given the green light to a premium bus service initiative designed to curb the use of private vehicles within the city and mitigate pollution, officials announced. The government published the draft of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023 on its website in August and actively sought public input. Through this initiative, the city government aims to persuade the middle and upper-middle classes to transition to public transportation. Under the scheme, license holders must ensure that no premium bus in service or acquired can have a registration date exceeding three years from the date of the scheme's notification. Moreover, any new premium bus introduced must adhere to prevailing emission standards, specifically BS-VI compliance, with options limited to either Air-Conditioned CNG or electric buses. Starting from January 1, 2025, only electric buses will be permitted for induction; CNG-operated buses, even if BS-VI compliant will not be allowed under this program.

The scheme also mandates that aggregators must implement measures to guarantee the safety and security of women passengers. This includes the implementation of a rapid response system, complete with a panic button on mobile and web-based applications. These features must be operational at all times and integrate seamlessly with law enforcement agencies to ensure prompt resolution of complaints.

Additionally, the initiative allows for dynamic pricing, but with the stipulation that the base fare should not fall below the peak fare of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) air-conditioned buses.

It's worth noting that in 2020, the Delhi government had set an ambitious goal of registering five lakh new electric vehicles (EVs) within five years and achieving a target of 25% of all newly sold vehicles being electric by 2025.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Sep 2025

Cabinet Approves Key Highway and Rail Projects in Bihar Region

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the four-laning of the 84.2-km Mokama-Munger section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur high-speed corridor, a key industrial region in poll-bound Bihar. The Cabinet also sanctioned the doubling of the 177-km Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line, which passes through Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at a cost of Rs 31.7 billion.The Rs 44.5 billion highway project will be constructed under the hybrid annuity model, a variant of public-private partnership. The Mokama-Munger stretch was the only remaining two-lane section of the 363-km Buxar-Bhagalpur corridor. Fou..

NGT Issues Notice on Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Project

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices in response to a petition filed by Bengaluru Praja Vedike and others, challenging the Bengaluru twin tunnel road project. Petitioners claim the project was “hastily announced” and bypassed mandatory environmental impact assessment procedures.Notices have been served to the Karnataka Government, Greater Bengaluru Authority, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and project consultants.The 16.74-km twin-tube..

India’s Residential Sales to Dip Slightly in FY26

Residential sales in India’s seven major cities are projected to decline by up to 3 per cent year-on-year in FY26 to 620–640 million square feet (msf), amid a moderation in sales velocity, according to ratings agency Icra.In FY25, sales stood at 643 msf, down 8 per cent YoY, following a sharp contraction in new launches and moderated demand in the affordable and mid-income segments. This slowdown came after the sector posted a robust compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent in area sales between FY22 and FY24.Icra noted: “Having seen a strong upcycle, the sector entered an equilibrium ..