Delhi government will soon seek feedback from the public on a policy to introduce premium buses for commuters to motivate them to ditch their vehicles and hop on to public transport, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday.

The chief minister chaired a high-level meeting here to set the work on the Delhi Motor Vehicle Licensing of Aggregators (Premium Buses) scheme in motion.

The scheme will encourage car-users to shift to the next-generation premium public transport and reduce pollution and intra-city trips, said a government statement.

“App-based aggregators will ply state-of-the-art, next-generation buses equipped with every modern facility to appeal to those who drive their personal cars,” said Kejriwal, according to the statement.

“All the buses will be BS-VI compliant Air Conditioned CNG or electric buses. All buses inducted under this scheme after January 1, 2024, shall be electric only. All buses will be seating-only, equipped with app support, CCTVs and panic buttons, and integrated with the One Delhi app for booking rides and making digital payments,” he said.

During the meeting, officials presented Kejriwal with a detailed blueprint for the drafting and implementation of a policy in accordance with the scheme.

This project will serve passengers who desire such a public transport service that meets high standards of quality, comfort, convenience, and efficiency, the statement said.

During the meeting, Kejriwal directed the transport department to start working on the scheme and draft a policy for it.

Once drafted, the policy will be moved for public opinion and accordingly notified for implementation. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot was also present in the meeting with senior officials of the concerned departments.

“Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal took stock of the app-based premium bus service to be started soon in Delhi. Premium bus service will be introduced as a suitable option for private vehicle users so that more and more people can use public transport,” Gahlot said in a tweet.

According to the statement, each aggregator licensed under the scheme shall operate and maintain a fleet of minimum 50 premium buses to be operationalised within 90 days.

The aggregator will be able to determine the bus routes. “Such routes shall be notified on the mobile or web-based application. The aggregator shall intimate the Transport Department when starting any new route or modifying/ terminating any route.

“A prior notice of seven days shall be provided to the Transport Department and to the general public before any changes are made to the existing routes," said the statement.

The aggregators will be able to determine “suitable dynamic” fare structures for route destinations, it said. The fare shall be displayed on the mobile and browser-based application. Passengers will be able to get tickets only through mobile and browser-based apps and no physical tickets will be issued.

The aggregators will have to put in place a grievance redressal mechanism and ensure that there is a mandatory panic button on the mobile and browser-based apps.

There should at least be two active CCTV cameras in each vehicle during the trip with the aggregator having the flexibility to operate mini/midi or standard size buses.

The Transport/Police Helpline number (42400400) has to be displayed. The CNG buses operated by aggregators must not be older than three years, the statement said.

The aggregator will have to provide proof of adequate overnight parking space for all buses since they will not be allowed to park vehicles in public spaces.

"The aggregator and permit holder will have to pick up and drop passengers at the notified bus queue shelters only. The fee for usage of bus queue shelters shall be paid separately. Any additional halting stations shall be provided through a single -window mechanism established by the Transport Department," added the statement.