The airport is set to come closer, and soon. With work on Delhi Metro’s IGI Airport link going ahead at full steam, the Union Urban Development Ministry is ready to finally introduce its Delhi airport express — a plan that will enable passengers to check in baggage at various points across the city and then take special buses to the airport.

Urban Development Secretary M Ramachandran told Newsline that the project, conceptualised exactly a year ago, is almost complete and should be launched by November. “The basic concept is for passengers to be able to check in their baggage at various points and then travel to the airport,” Ramachandran said. The luxury buses to ferry these passengers on identified routes will “receive priority at the airport”, he added.

Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC), a joint venture company promoted by the Urban Development Ministry, has been engaged to conceptualise and implement the project. The company’s chief, O P Aggarwal, said they have identified 17 locations, including Gurgaon, to run the luxury service. “Of these 17, we will start two pilot projects in November as direct links (no stoppages on route) to the airport from Anand Vihar and Kashmere gate ISBTs,” Aggarwal said. “Once these are functional we will work on the other 15 routes.”

Aggarwal said among areas identified to get the airport express are Rohini, Mayur Vihar, Andheria More, Saket and Model Town. “We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DTC earlier this year to procure buses,” Aggarwal said. The buses, though, will be different from those seen on city roads at present. Aggarwal said UMTC will get specially designed luxury mini-buses and that tenders inviting different design modules have already been issued.

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