SC allows Delhi Government to buy 500 standard-floor buses

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed the Delhi government to purchase 500 standard floor buses. This will fulfill the needs of the public through public transport.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in his tweet said: “Welcome decision by the Supreme Court allowing Delhi government to procure 500 standard floor buses. There is an urgent need to augment environment-friendly public transport in Delhi.”

The bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan on Thursday took cognizance of the shortage of buses and said that the court’s decision is interim. “I am particularly of the opinion that all buses should be low-floor buses,” the Bench said as they are disabled-friendly.

Delhi government had told a bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan that it was willing to install hydraulic lift in new buses at its own cost to make it accessible to the differently-abled.

The Supreme Court was hearing appeals against the June 1 order of the Delhi Government and the Delhi High Court of DTC. In this order, the Delhi Government had stopped buying 2000 standard floor buses, taking care of the convenience of no-lamps.

The Delhi government has told the court that for every pilgrim who has wheelchair, a hydraulic lift will be allowed in each bus. The total cost will be around 80-90 crore rupees.

This will benefit more than 16,000 pensioners/family pensioners. Of the 500 buses, 80 per cent will be non- AC and 20 per cent will be AC buses.