Delhi govt to give 10% discount on common mobility card for bus rides

The Delhi government plans to give 10% discount to the users of newly launched common mobility card in all state-run buses. The transport department will put up the proposal before the Cabinet within a week. The move is aimed at encouraging more passengers to use the card, said senior Delhi government officials.

The Delhi government had launched the common mobility card service on August 25, enabling commuters to pay bus fares through their Metro cards. The scheme is being implemented in all buses run by DTC, DIMTS and DMRC. On an average 30 lakh passengers use public bus services in the national Capital daily.

Delhi Metro already offers discount to smart card users.

“Once approved by the Cabinet, it is going to benefit a large section of the city population which is primarily dependent on public buses for their daily commute. The discount will be applicable on all rides within the city limits,” said a senior officer, requesting anonymity.

Currently, bus fares in Delhi for non-AC buses are ₹5, ₹10 and ₹15. There is a flat fare of ₹5 for travel in non-AC DTC and cluster buses for travel up to five kms. Fare slab for travel in AC buses is between ₹10 and ₹25.

The DTC runs a fleet of 3,882 buses, of which 2,506 are low-floor non-AC buses, 1,275 are low-floor AC buses and 101 green standard floor buses. Besides, there are 1,672 cluster (orange ) buses plying on city roads.

Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the discount on the card is expected to be implemented within a month’s time.

“The proposal has to go to the Cabinet for approval. We are hoping to make it available within a month,” said Gahlot.

Nearly 34% of city commuters depend on non-AC bus services while only about 10%-15% of commuters use AC buses, according to a recent report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) during a two-day conclave on making public transport affordable to all.

Besides, the department has also asked the DTC to streamline issues with electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) used in buses, which initially had problems swiping more than a few cards per day.