With the allocation of Rs3,702 crore (22 per cent) for the transport sector in the Delhi Budget, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday announced that the Capital will have 1,380 semi-low floor buses for DTC, construction of second carriageway on RTR flyover, extension of elevated Barapullah Road from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar extension under Phase III, and upgradation of Anand Vihar and Sarai Sare Khan inter-state bus terminals.
He also said that work on construction of Phase II of elevated corridor over Barapullah Nullah, at a cost of Rs533 crore, is in progress and it would be further extended from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar under Phase III. On the second carriage way on RTR flyover, the Finance Minister said that due to rapid increase in volume of road traffic, a number of intersections having single carriage way flyover need to be added with dual carriageway flyovers. Constructions of some of the selected flyovers will be taken up on priority,” he said.
Jaitley has allocated Rs3,702 crore for the transport sector in Delhi during 2014-15. Also, stating that the ISBTs at Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar are functioning without suitable infrastructure, he added that these would now be upgraded. “Private-sector corporate operators will add 400 new cluster buses, making it a fleet of about 1,600 cluster buses during this financial year,” he said.
There is a requirement for 11,000 public transport buses in Delhi and, as per an agreement between DTC and DIMTS, both are mandated to run 5,500 buses each in the city.
While DTC currently operates around 5,000 buses, DIMTS has only 1,157 cluster buses, or 4,343 less than the required 5,500 as per the commitment.
Jaitley, meanwhile, also informed the House that
tenders have already been
floated for an earlier proposal to procure 1,380 semi-low floor buses for DTC.