To combat the severe pollution pervading in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Friday that his government would launch 106 shuttle bus services while the Delhi Metro would run 60 additional trips to promote usage of public transport in view of GRAP-III restrictions.
The decision came during a high-level meeting Rai held with the officials on the implementation of GRAP-III restrictions in the city.
The minister said several important decisions were made during the meeting, foremost among them being the introduction of 106 shuttle bus services by the DTC to boost public transport in the city.
These buses, he said would run 1,844 trips, with 40 services specifically meant for government employees living throughout the city connecting various colonies, including Dwarka, Nehru Place, and CGO Complex, and will serve offices in areas such as Badarpur, Janakpuri, and Paharganj.
“Furthermore, 200 mobile anti-smoke guns will be deployed for water sprinkling across the city in three shifts, with a separate driver assigned to each shift to ensure continuous operation. For the smooth implementation of the GRAP III, a nodal officer has been appointed in the Green War Room to closely monitor these activities and submit his report daily,” the minister said.
The AAP Leader announced that under GRAP-III, a complete ban has been clamped on private construction and demolition activities. However, projects related to railways, metro, airports, interstate bus terminals, national security, defence-related activities, and projects of national importance are exempted from the restriction.
He added that medium goods carriers registered outside Delhi will also be banned from entering the city, and interstate buses from NCR states will also be restricted, with exceptions for Electric, CNG, and BS-VI buses.
“To ensure effective implementation of these measures, the Transport Department has deployed 84 teams, along with 280 Transport Police teams, to enforce the rules and violators will face a fine of Rs 20, 000,” Rai said.