The Delhi government on Thursday approved a proposal to procure 1,000 low-floor air-conditioned buses under the cluster scheme, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced here. This is the first time that low-floor AC buses will be procured under the cluster scheme.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The government said prospective bidders will be asked to install CCTV and automated vehicles tracking systems (AVTS) in the buses, as per the specification finalised by the Transport Department. “The Cabinet has given its nod to the procurement of 1,000 low-floor air-conditioned buses. These buses will start hitting the city roads in July [next year]... These will be run under the kilometre scheme,” Mr. Sisodia said.
Bidding process manager
Later, in a statement, the government said the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) may be appointed as the bidding process manager. The DIMTS was asked to conduct a study on route rationalisation. Hence, some of the 657 approved routes are likely to be changed, it said.
According to the DTC, the statement said, the main reason for failures of past tenders was procurement of buses with annual maintenance contract (AMC) from the vehicle manufactures (VMs) for the entire life span of the vehicle (7,50,000 km or 12 years’ operation, whichever is later).
“At present, the VMs are executing AMC of 3,775 low-floor CNG buses of the DTC. Owing to suboptimal maintenance of buses, heavy deductions are being made by DTC on their AMC bills in accordance to the contract terms,” the government statement said.
The statement said that according to VMs, the terms and conditions of the AMC were not rational and congenial for them to participate in the bidding of new buses.
“Needless to say, at the time of last tender, the terms and conditions of the AMC were suitably rationalised by the DTC. It appears, VMs are more interested in selling buses rather than maintaining them by their own throughout the operating life span of the vehicle,” the statement argued.
The Delhi government, the statement said, has to augment city bus fleet of stage carriages up to the number of 11,000 buses in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court.
Both the courts, the statement said, were regularly monitoring the augmentation of the bus fleet in accordance with its directions. As on date, the overall fleet of DTC and cluster buses stands at 5,460.
“The Delhi Cabinet, therefore granted administrative approval for the engagement of 1,000 low floor height CNG propelled air-conditioned buses under gross cost model of contracting through private entities under the Cluster Scheme of Delhi government, through global tendering process, on the basis of the best financial offers under the remaining clusters,” the statement added.