Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday announced the Delhi government will notify its 'Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme 2023'. The scheme stipulates all passenger, service delivery, and e-commerce aggregator platforms' vehicles to be electric vehicles after 2030.

The scheme introduces the nation's first-ever aggregator scheme exclusively tailored for premium buses and calls for a modal shift in public transportation. The buses that will come to be a part of the initiative will have exceptional quality, comfort, and reliability, and will lead to a reduction in congestion and air pollution, the government said.

Addressing a press conference, Gahlot said the scheme applies to aggregators, delivery service providers, or e-commerce entities operating within the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It will cover those with 25 or more motor vehicles (2W, 3W, and 4W, excluding buses) in their fleet, who use a digital intermediary such as an app or web portal to connect with consumers for their services.

The scheme defines a "Premium Bus" as any full-AC luxury public bus having a seating capacity of no less than nine passengers, pre-reserved reclining seats, and equipped with Wifi, GPS, and CCTV, the statement said. The scheme stipulates that the 'onboarded' bus must not be more than three years old, in case the bus is CNG, and the buses joining the service after January 1, 2025, must be electric.

Under the scheme, only pre-booked digital ticketing will be permissible, with no physical tickets issued. All charges from passengers are to be collected exclusively through electronic or digital payment modes.

Taking a dig at the Kejriwal government, Delhi BJP President  Virendra Sachdeva has said that the people of Delhi fail to understand as to in whose interest this has brought out the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator & Delivery Service Provider Scheme in whose interest.  Sachdeva said surge Pricing has been left in the hands of aggregators thereby making them prone to exploitation in peak hours or situation of traffic jams.

"If the Government wants to reduce pollution in Delhi then why has it allowed 7 years for complete introduction of EVs. During Sheila Dikshit regime more then 5000 buses & 75000 autorickshaws were converted from petrol & diesel to CNG in less then two years. One fails to understand why Kejriwal has allowed plying non EVs in aggregator scheme till 2030," he added.