Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Delhi govt will introduce digital travel cards for women to avail free rides in state-run buses, replacing the existing pink tickets. This was among the announcements chief minister Rekha Gupta made while earmarking Rs 12,952 crore in the state budget for improved public transportation and urban mobility in the city.
The pink ticket for free rides, introduced for women by the previous govt in 2019, will be replaced by the digital card to “curb corruption linked to ticketing”. Gupta said, “We are committed to providing the free bus ride service to women, but corruption will not be tolerated. The digital travel cards for women may be used as often as needed.”
CM added that the entire transport system would be modernised and the existing schemes would be revamped to correct flaws and to ensure transparency and efficiency. “Our goal is to make Delhi’s public transport more accessible, reliable and globally recognised,” she said. The outlay for the transport sector in the current fiscal was Rs 9,337 crore.
To strengthen the public transport system, Gupta said that Delhi would add more than 5,000 new electric buses to the 2,152 it already has and set aside for Rs 1,000 crore with support from the central govt to implement urban transport projects aimed at strengthening the city’s public transit system.
She announced plans to establish a welfare board for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers, focusing on improving their working conditions and providing better support systems.
Gupta allocated Rs 2,929.7 crore to Delhi Metro. “60% of the work on the three priority corridors of DMRC’s Phase IV has already been completed,” she noted. “Construction of the remaining three corridors under the phase, namely Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block, Inderlok-Indraprastha and Rithala-Bawana-Narela-Nathupur (Kundli) will begin in 2025-26.”
Alongside increased funds for the transport system, the budget also focused on road infrastructure, with Gupta claiming “bullet speed development, not traffic jams” would be the new identity of the capital. An amount of Rs 3,843 crore has been allocated for the improvement of road and bridge infrastructure in Delhi. A separate Rs 350 crore has been set aside for this under the MLA-LAD Fund scheme. The latter will be used to strengthen and expanding infrastructure such as lanes, local parks and street lights.
Connectivity between Delhi and cities in the National Capital Region would be improved, for which Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated. Funds for this will be available from the Union road transport and urban development ministries. Free of broken roads and traffic jams, Delhi would now enter a new era of “traffic-free expressways, seamless connectivity, elevated corridors, and a smart surveillance system”, Gupta assured.
Mayank Rawat
