New Delhi, Sep 23 Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday inaugurated an interstate DTC AC bus service from Delhi to Baraut in Uttar Pradesh and hit out at previous city governments for shutting down such revenue-generating ventures of the public transporter.
She also launched new Digital Ticketing machines for bus conductors and a new app, Chalo, for commuters, an official said.
Speaking at an event at the interstate bus service from ISBT Kashmiri Gate, CM Gupta said the previous government intentionally shut down all those services of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) which were generating good revenue.
In a veiled attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, CM Gupta asked, "Why did those who claimed to make Delhi as good as London and Paris not find time to improve the city's transport sector?"
"The closure of DTC's interstate buses for the past 17-18 years has been a part of a conspiracy to systematically finish the Corporation," she said.
"At a time when private interstate buses are making profits, why should the DTC not do the same?" she asked, reiterating her government's resolve to make the public transporter profitable soon.
"When I became the Chief Minister, I noticed buses from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab plying in the city. I enquired why there were no interstate DTC buses," she said.
She said the Delhi to Baraut bus service of the DTC is just the beginning, and in the coming days, the government will launch at least one new interstate service every month.
Later, the CM wrote on X, "On the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, under the Seva Pakhwada organised today, the interstate bus service from ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Delhi to Baraut in UP was inaugurated. At the same time, modern PoS machines and the Chalo app were also launched."
"The interstate bus service, which had been closed for years, has been restarted by our government. The new AC bus service between Delhi and Baraut is a symbol of our resolve for an affordable, accessible, reliable, and inclusive public transportation system," she said.
"To reduce pollution, the introduction of electric buses in private schools is also being started," she said.
On this occasion, Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, MP from Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency Rajkumar Sangwan, along with DTC officials, were also present.
The DTC also launched new ticketing machines to be used by conductors. The machines have been launched in collaboration with Canara Bank to facilitate payment of ticket fare to a bus conductor through card and QR scan via the hand-held point of sale (PoS) electronic ticketing machine.
The initiative is likely to enhance automated fare collection for transparency and digitise payment.
The DTC is also aiming to digitally provide information in real time to commuters about the occupancy in each approaching bus.
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