New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS): The Delhi government on Tuesday notified the Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme, 2023, tailored exclusively for premium buses.

The scheme aims to encourage a modal shift in public transportation, offering high-quality, comfortable, and reliable services to reduce congestion and air pollution.

It defines a "premium bus" as a luxury public bus with a seating capacity of not less than nine passengers, fully air-conditioned, equipped with pre-reserved reclining seats, WiFi, GPS, and CCTV.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on the occasion pointed out the significance of the scheme and hailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's leadership in "fostering a greener and smarter future for Delhi".

As per the scheme, licence applicants must have a minimum of three years of experience in operating and managing vehicles in public or shared transportation. They are required to maintain a fleet of a minimum of 100 passenger buses annually or 1000 passenger cars annually, or a mixed fleet. Further, onboarded buses must not be more than three years old, and buses joining the service after January 1, 2025, must be electric.

Aggregator licences can be obtained upon payment of Rs 5 lakh and are valid for five years.

Under the scheme, no licence fee will be levied on electric buses to promote clean and sustainable transportation.

"Licence holders must operate and maintain a fleet of at least 25 premium buses of various sizes, to be made operational within 90 days from the date of licence grant," a Transport Department spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said that the licence holders will have the flexibility to determine potential routes for operating their premium buses.

Only pre-booked digital ticketing is permissible, with all charges collected exclusively through electronic or digital payment modes. Fares would be dynamic and should not be lower than the peak fare of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) AC buses, he added.