Govt. offers free bus rides during odd-even scheme

Move to cost Delhi Transport Corporation over ₹6 crore; 500 additional buses to ply on the roads

Free rides from November. 13 to 17 in Delhi

The Aam Admi Party government on Friday announced free bus rides aboard its Delhi Transport Corporation fleet from November 13 to 17, the proposed dates of the odd-even rational scheme even as the National Green Tribunal questioned the rationale behind implementing the measure next week when pollution levels are likely to reduce considerably. 

While refusing to comment on the NGT's directive since it was sub judice-the hearing remained inconclusion and will continue on Saturday-government announced that it will allow free travel to commuters in all DTC and cluster buses between November 13 and 17, in a bid to promote the use of public transport.

Load on DTC

The free rides are expected to cause a loss of around ₹9 crore to the cash-strapped public transporter, said sources. According to latest from June this year, the DTC which has a fleet of nearly 4,000 buses, passengers daily and earns around ₹1.88 crore per day.