After protests from regular bus commuters and the Opposition, the Delhi Cabinet has re-drawn the DTC bus fare structure and has also introduced a bus pass system for people registered in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.

According to a decision taken by the Cabinet on Tuesday, the government has extended the first fare slab of Rs 5 for a distance of 0 to 3 km by an additional km. The cost of a bus ticket for a distance of upto 4 km will now be Rs 5. Passengers travelling beyond 4 km upto 10 km will pay Rs 10 for the journey; passengers travelling beyond 10 km will pay Rs 15. This slab is valid only for non-AC buses and will be implemented after a formal notification by the government.

The government recently altered the earlier DTC bus fare structure, in which the travelling upto 4 km cost Rs 3. Under the new slab, travel upto 3 km cost Rs 5. While DTC earns the maximum revenue from the first slab, commuters travelling a distance of 3 to 4 km had to shell out Rs 10 instead of Rs 3 under the new structure. The Cabinet has also decided to introduce a BPL bus pass in addition to the general bus pass available at Rs 800.