The National Green Tribunal on Thursday asked the Delhi government to start point-to-point destination buses from May 1 in a bid to improve air quality and traffic congestion. The tribunal said the non-stop service would help reduce car usage and demanded a status report within four weeks.
The bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said the project should begin on a pilot basis from Dwarka, Rohini, Janakpuri, CGO complex and Badarpur border. “The National Capital Delhi and traffic police will advertise about the introduction of destination buses from April 25 to inform the public,” the bench said.
The panel asked the Delhi Transport Corporation to maintain the buses. The green tribunal had criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government for failing to adhere to its earlier order by the given deadline. The administration, however, claimed that it did not have enough buses for thr project.
The panel had said “it is evident that large number of buses are standing along Yamuna at the depot. We see no reason why state authorities have not implemented our order so far.”
The green panel had earlier said “the traffic on roads of Delhi needs to be reduced by taking various measures that have already been directed to be taken by various authorities, including introduction of destination buses which could certainly help particularly the middle class and single driver from opting for destination buses rather than driving a car individually on highly congested roads of Delhi.” It had ordered the government to incentivise using public transport.
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