Delhi’s cab, bus aggregator policies hit as experts, consultants removed

According to senior officials in the transport department, a team of about 20-25 consultants, experts, advisers and fellows were deployed in the department and were working on giving shape to several key projects, including the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Services Provider Policy, Premium Bus Policy, Mohalla Bus scheme, EV policy and others.

After getting approval from L-G V K Saxena, the transport department had put the draft of both the cab aggregator and the premium bus policies in public domain in May, inviting feedback and suggestions.

Under the aggregator policy, legalisation of bike taxis was proposed along with tight rules and regulations for aggregators providing passenger services as well delivery services providers.

The draft’s key aim was to get aggregators and service providers to make a “100% transition” to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025.

“We received suggestions and feedback from about 600 persons including stakeholders on the cab aggregator policy. Work to implement and notify (the policies) was going at a very fast pace but all experts, consultants and advisers working on the projects were terminated following the L-G’s instructions. Due to this, the projects are stalled,” said an official.

Another key project that has been impacted is the mohalla bus scheme, proposed in this year’s budget. “A committee was formed to study and carry out a survey to find out routes, type and number of buses needed for the routes and the areas they would cover. Based on this, the routes for the buses were to be decided and the vehicles subsequently deployed,” said officials. Here too, work has stopped following termination of fellows and consultants.

Said Transport Minister Gahlot: “Everything was happening at a fast pace. The draft policy had also been prepared; suggestions and objections had been sought from the public. But suddenly, the appointment of experts and consultants working on these schemes has been cancelled on the instructions of the L-G. Due to this, the process of these schemes has stopped for the time being.”

The decision has affected the plans of Aggregator Policy, E-Vehicle Policy, Premium Bus Policy and others in the transport department, he confirmed.

The minister, however, assured that the projects won’t come to a halt even as their pace will be a “little slow”. He said, “The Arvind Kejriwal government is always committed to schemes related to public interest. Be it an aggregator policy for app-based taxis or a premium bus policy. I want to assure that Chief Minister Kejriwal has also said that public works will not stop. The pace of our work will definitely be a little slow but we will not let the work stop.”

The L-G House did not respond to messages seeking comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, officials said that the Delhi government’s EV policy has also expired and has currently been extended for a month. While the department has received public suggestions and prepared the draft policy for EV policy 2.0, the work on the same has been delayed. “The policy needed expert views and suggestions but now, the EV cell is almost vacant,” said an official.

In July, pointing out that the AAP government has deployed fellows, consultants, advisers and others in its department without the “approval of L-G”, the L-G instructed the Services department to terminate about 400 “private staff”.