After the protests by students of University of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister on Tuesday ordered that the student passes shall be valid in AC buses too,from September 1.
The announcement came, after a group of students from Delhi University met the Chief Minister, seeking concessions in DTC buses for students. The students marched from the Civil Lines Metro Station to Kejriwal’s residence and presented him a list of demands which included permission for student bus passes to be applicable in DTC’s air-conditioned buses. Currently, students can get a concessional monthly bus pass for Rs100, which are only valid for non-air-conditioned DTC buses and those under the cluster scheme run by DIMTS.
The general monthly bus passes issued by DTC, however, cost Rs 800 for travelling in non-air-conditioned buses and Rs1,000 for air-conditioned buses.
The government,however,now has decided to allow students with concessional bus passes to travel in AC buses too.The monthly student bus pass will be issued for Rs200.Students will be able to use this pass to travel in the 1,275 AC DTC buses. Kejriwal tweeted that he has, “Directed Transport Minister to expedite the proposal to allow student passes in AC buses too”, on July 31.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot acknowledged the order and tweeted in reply that he “will immediately take the necessary steps”.
“We are working out financial implication and making necessary necessary budgetary provisions,” Delhi’s Transport Minister Mr. Kailash Gahlot told a national newspaper,while confirming that concessional passes would be allowed.
The move is expected to benefit nearly five lakh students in the city.With increasing levels of humidity along with over-crowded buses,this move of the government comes as a respite for student commuters.
