Abhinav RajputNew Delhi: Bus routes in Delhi will now be planned keeping in mind passenger needs as well as the wider public transport network, including the metro, e-rickshaw service and Gramin Seva, senior govt officials said.Govt will prepare an integrated route plan for all public transport modes so that multiple modes are not required to provide connectivity along the same route or in the same area.A senior official said: “We believe the exercise will help make better use of existing resources and connect more areas to public transport. It will also allow bus connectivity to be increased in areas where there is a greater need for it.”Govt has assigned the task of bus route rationalisation to IIT Delhi. According to sources, the plan for the routes is expected to be ready by Feb 2027. Surveys are being conducted among passengers in different parts of the city.In the east zone, 121 routes, 181 in the west zone and 194 in the north zone are being prepared for feedback. The exercise will also take into account the availability of other public transport modes and their connectivity.On corridors where metro connectivity is already available, the number of buses and parallel routes could be reduced. The freed-up resources could be used to improve connectivity in areas where public transport services are required.In the next stage, e-rickshaw routes will also be reorganised. The plan is to use e-rickshaws and autos for last-mile connectivity in areas that are not served by buses or the metro.Govt also plans to develop Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi, along with several other railway stations, as integrated multi-modal transit hubs. The proposed hubs will bring different public transport modes together and improve connectivity for passengers.Another official said: “For Delhi commuters, the exercise could mean better connectivity without having to depend on multiple overlapping services for the same journey. By aligning bus routes with metro and last-mile services, passengers could get more convenient connections, while areas currently needing better public transport access could see services redirected towards them.”
