Dehradun – Travelers heading from Uttarakhand to Delhi for Dussehra and Diwali should be aware of possible disruptions. Starting October 1st, the Delhi government plans to ban BS-4 diesel buses to address pollution concerns. This new regulation will affect daily bus services between Uttarakhand and Delhi, with around 450 buses currently in operation. Of these, 300 are BS-4 buses. The state transport corporation will have only 170 BS-6 CNG buses eligible to enter Delhi under the new rules.
The daily passenger traffic between Uttarakhand and Delhi is significant, with 30,000 to 35,000 passengers using these services. If the ban is enforced, buses will only be able to reach the Delhi border, potentially causing major inconvenience and financial losses.
Initially, the Delhi government planned to enforce this ban starting November 2022 but extended the deadline twice due to requests from various states, including Uttarakhand. Despite these extensions, many states did not upgrade their fleets in time.
The Uttarakhand Transport Corporation operates 1,350 buses, with 275 from the Garhwal region and 175 from the Kumaon region traveling to Delhi daily. The majority of Garhwal buses head to Kashmiri Gate ISBT, while Kumaon buses go to Anand Vihar ISBT. Buses traveling through Delhi to other states might also be impacted.
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Additionally, the corporation’s BS-4 super deluxe Volvo buses may be restricted from entering Delhi. Out of the 53 Volvo buses, only 12 are BS-6 compliant. An additional 130 new buses are expected by the end of this month.
Current pollution levels in Delhi are low, so immediate impacts on bus services are not expected. However, if restrictions are imposed, only the 170 CNG buses will be allowed into Delhi – C.P. Kapoor, General Manager (Operations), Uttarakhand Transport Corporation
