Delhi Plans Unified Transport Authority to Cut Pollution, Ease Congestion

The proposed legislation will seek to rationalise, integrate and coordinate Delhi's presently fragmented transport ecosystem under a single, coherent planning and governance framework, a statement issued by Chief Minister Gupta's office said.

The move marks a significant milestone in the state government's vision to create a modern, efficient, people-centric and environmentally sustainable transport system for the national capital.

Chief Minister Gupta said, "The proposed DUMTA will bring cohesion to Delhi's entire urban mobility system. By placing all modes of transport like metro, buses, regional rail, railways and feeder services, within a single planning jurisdiction, we will ensure that mobility solutions are integrated, efficient and citizen-focused."

The Bill will drafted by a high-level task force under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, the statement said.

She said the proposed DUMTA will play a critical role in decongesting Delhi's roads by strengthening public transport, improving last-mile connectivity and encouraging a shift away from private vehicles.

The Chief Minister said, "This is integral to the state government's long-term strategy to combat air pollution, one of the national capital's most pressing challenges."

"Establishing DUMTA is one of the most important long-term interventions to reduce dependence on private vehicles and provide clean, efficient mobility to every resident of Delhi," she added.

Vehicular emissions remain a major local source of pollution, and expanding a reliable, well-connected public transport network is central to achieving sustainable environmental outcomes, Chief Minister Gupta said.

"Our government is working on short, medium and long-term solutions to address pollution, an issue that worsened over the years due to lack of structural reforms by previous governments," she added.

The National Urban Transport Policy envisaged creation of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) in large cities to facilitate strategic planning and co-ordinated implementation of integrated urban transport systems.

The increased population, pollution, pressure on roads and elevated demand of streamlined and organised public transport systems in Delhi-National Capital Region is necessitating setting up of a DUMTA.

In Delhi's case, the envisaged DUMTA is expected to oversee strategic mobility planning, integrate transport modes including Metro, buses, regional rail and other feeder or last mile services, ensure coordination between agencies, curb overlapping jurisdictions and improve overall efficiency in public transport delivery.

- IANS