Delhi High Court wants to know if small buses are viable

The Delhi high court Friday sought to know from the Delhi government the feasibility of introducing self-financed buses in the wake of increasing pollution caused by the rise in the number of cars on city streets.

A bench of justice G S Sistani and justice Jyoti Singh said cars cannot be replaced by a crowded bus or the Metro. It said self-financing buses, which have a fare higher than that of normal buses but lesser than that of cabs, should be introduced instead of large buses.

Self-financing buses are smaller in size, meant for providing last-mile connectivity to commuters, and have better facilities than the regular buses.

The court was hearing a plea it had initiated itself in 2015, and also raised by another person, to address the issue of poor air quality in the national capital. The court has been passing slew of directions from time to time in the matter as precautionary steps to prevent pollution.

On Friday, the petitioner informed the court that open construction and felling of trees are the major concerns. Senior advocate Kailash Vasdev, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the case, told the court that several trees are being cut but nobody knows where the wood is going. He also suggested that the Delhi government should bring in smaller and better buses, i.e, self-financing buses.

Following this, the court sought to know the feasibility of having self-financing buses. It said smaller buses will attract more people who otherwise shy away from crowded buses.

The matter would be now heard on July 24. On the next date, the court is likely to hear detailed arguments pertaining to air pollution and urban planning.

First Published:
Jul 13, 2019 09:29 IST

Source: Read Full Article