In a move to encourage private car owners to switch to public transport and complement the odd-even car restriction scheme, the Delhi government on Friday announced a policy for app-based premium bus
In a move to encourage private car owners to switch to public transport and complement the odd-even car restriction scheme, the Delhi government on Friday announced a policy for app-based premium bus services that will be launched in mid-June. Delhiites will be able to book their seats in buses on the lines of app-based taxi services, through their smartphones from June.
Only air-conditioned buses will ply under the scheme, according to which one bus aggregator will have to run at least 50 vehicles to get a licence from the Delhi government’s transport department. City transport minister Gopal Rai said that the bus aggregators will have an individual app like Ola, Uber and they will be allowed to decide their fares, but if need arises, the government will prescribe upper limit of fares or take steps to check predatory pricing.
He said the decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. With the AAP government giving green signal to new bus service based on mobile application, Ola and Uber, which are facing criticism for surge pricing during the second phase of the odd-even scheme, may also enter new business and run app-based bus services as well.
“Ola and Uber whoever fulfils all conditions of the permits, can run premium bus service. The government has made compulsory installation of two CCTV cameras, wi-fi and GPS on each bus to be plied under new service. In view of women’s safety, bus aggregators will have to ensure panic button in their apps,” Mr Rai said, adding that the registration of such buses will start from June 1.
As per new policy, the bus aggregators will determine the routes on which premium buses will ply from time to time and specify such routes along with the time schedule of each trip on its web-based application. “App users will be required to find buses going towards their destination and thereafter they can book their seat through their phone. Five minutes before the departure, bus aggregators will have to freeze bookings and display a list of passengers. Drivers of the vehicle cannot allow other passengers on the route to enter if have not booked their seats,” the transport minister added.
After accepting the booking of a passenger, the aggregators cannot cancel the service except upon occurrence of breakdown and force majeure and in that case, companies will have to refund the passenger no less than twice the amount they received from the affected passengers.
