The Delhi Government on Tuesday marked a historic milestone in India's transportation sector and notified the Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023. The scheme is India’s first-ever aggregator scheme exclusively tailored for premium buses.
Commenting on this development, the Transport Minister of Delhi, Kailash Gahlot, said, "The notification of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023, marks a historic moment for the national capital. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, it is a visionary step toward transforming public transportation and reducing the burden of congestion and pollution. These premium buses are a testament to our commitment to providing world-class, comfortable, and sustainable travel options to the people of Delhi. With the introduction of this scheme, we are not just connecting destinations; we are paving the way to a greener and smarter future. Our focus is clear: offer the best quality service while safeguarding the environment."
The scheme defines the “Premium Bus” as any luxury public bus having a seating capacity of not less than 09 passengers. These buses will be fully air-conditioned, having pre-reserved reclining seats and in addition, they will also have Wifi, GPS and CCTV.
Eligibility to obtain a license:
The eligibility to obtain a license under this scheme states that the applicants must have at least three years of experience operating and managing vehicles in public or shared transportation. They must maintain a fleet of a minimum of 100 passenger buses annually, or 1000 passenger cars annually, or a mixed fleet comprising a minimum of 100 buses and calculated at ten cars equivalent to 1 bus.
License applicants shall adhere to all applicable conditions related to the use of passenger vehicles, similar to the case of contract carriage buses. The scheme also states that onboarded buses shall not be more than three years old in the case of CNG, and the buses joining the service after January 1, 2025, must be electric.
The scheme requires that the applicants must have a corporate or branch office located within the NCR. Additionally, the Aggregator licenses can obtained after a payment of Rs 5,00,000, with a validity of five years. However, there are no fees applicable for electric buses.
Also Read: BT Exclusive: India mulls lowering import duty to drive in Tesla cars, say govt sources