Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 22 Dec: In a significant step towards strengthening urban public transport and easing traffic congestion, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) named Dehradun City Transport Limited has been constituted to manage the operation of city bus services in the state capital. The move is part of the government’s broader push to establish an integrated and technology-driven public transport system in urban areas, in line with national mobility reforms and sustainable transport goals.
It may be recalled that, at present, 30 electric buses are operating in Dehradun under the Smart City Bus Scheme. These vehicles, along with an additional fleet of 100 buses proposed under the Prime Minister’s E-Bus Scheme, will soon be operated and managed by Dehradun City Transport Limited.
It may be recalled that Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan had recently chaired a high-level review meeting and directed that the registration process of the SPV be completed within the current month, with its first board meeting scheduled for January. The officials have indicated that the SPV would function as a unified platform for planning routes, managing operations, improving last-mile connectivity and ensuring better coordination among multiple civic and enforcement agencies.
Under the approved structure, the Secretary Transport will serve as the Chairperson of Dehradun City Transport Limited, while the Managing Director of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) will function as Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The board will also include the Transport Commissioner or a representative of the rank of Additional Transport Commissioner, the District Magistrate, Dehradun, the SSP, Dehradun and the Vice Chairman of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority. Other members will include the General Manager of UTC, the Regional Transport Officer (Administration) Dehradun, the Municipal Commissioner and a representative of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority. In addition, at least two representatives from transport operators and transport experts will be associated with the board as special invitees to provide professional and sectoral inputs. The office of the SPV is proposed to be housed in the Transport Commissioner’s Office building, and formalities related to company registration are currently being completed.
Additional Transport Commissioner SK Singh has shared that the government plans to operate 50 CNG buses under the Gross Cost Contract model through Dehradun City Transport Limited, alongside the electric buses. He added that Dehradun is among the cities selected under the Prime Minister E-Bus Scheme, which aims to promote clean and energy-efficient public transport in urban India through central assistance and public-private partnership models. The newly formed SPV may also assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the existing 30 electric buses, bringing all city bus services under a single management framework.
The government believes that the Dehradun model, once operational, can also serve as a template for other urban centres in Uttarakhand. Plans are already underway to constitute similar SPVs for operating city bus services in Haridwar and Haldwani with emphasis on structured urban mobility solutions, reduced vehicular emissions and improved commuter experience, through digitally and centrally monitored and professionally managed public transport systems.
