Permit procurement of 500 standard buses: Govt to HC

Says vehicles primarily meant for rural areas with poor roads ◗

New Delhi, Oct. 10: The AAP government and DTC on Wednesday urged the Delhi high court to permit procurement of 500 standard floor buses for the national capital, saying that these vehicles were primarily meant for rural areas on the city outskirts where the roads were poor.

The Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP)- led government and the Delhi Transport Corporation ( DTC) told a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. K. Rao that the standard floor buses, proposed to be procured, were disabled friendly as they would have hydraulic lifts for easy access to the differentlyabled persons.

The proposed procurement was opposed by a differentlyabled person, Nipun Malhotra, who has

The proposed procurement was opposed by a differentlyabled person. After hearing arguments of both sides, the HC reserved its decision on the procurement of 500 standard floor buses.

moved two PILs challenging the Delhi government and the DTC’s decision to buy 2,000 standard floor buses ( SFBs) instead of the low floor buses ( LFBs) for the national capital.

After hearing arguments of both sides, the high court reserved its decision on the procurement of 500 SFBs.

Mr Malhotra, represented by advocate Jai Dehadrai, contended that SFBs were not disabledfriendly as they were mounted on truck chassis and their height prevented differently- abled persons from boarding them.

Mr Dehadrai also contended that lack of good roads in the rural areas cannot be a reason for buying SFBs as there would be disabled persons in the villages and the government was responsible for ensuring good roads.

Advocate Aman Panwar, appearing for Congress leader Ajay Maken who has also opposed the procurement, said that according to the DTC itself, LFBs were more advanced and safer than SFBs.

Mr Dehadrai also argued that as per the ministry of urban development’s harmonised guidelines of 2016, LFBs with ramps were required, instead of SFBs with hydraulic lifts.

He also contended that the harmonised guidelines have been upheld by the Supreme Court while allowing procurement of 500 SFBs by Delhi government as an interim measure.

The Supreme Court on August 2 had allowed the Delhi government and DTC to go ahead with procurement of 500 SFBs, out of the 1,000 proposed to be bought, and had said that the high court would decide regarding the remaining.

The apex court had permitted procurement of 500 SFBs as an interim measure to take care of “pressing needs” of commuters using public transport in the city.