SC seeks Delhi government's response to plea challenging purchase of 500 standard floor buses

The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Delhi government's response to a petition challenging its decision to buy 500 standard floor buses that would ply on the city outskirts, where the roads are in poor condition. The bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, however, refused to interfere with the ongoing purchase of the 500 buses.

In his plea Nipun Malhotra, a differently-abled person, has challenged the October 22 order of the Delhi High Court allowing the Delhi government to purchase 500 standard floor buses and asked the SC to order for purchase of only low floor buses, which are differently-abled friendly. However, while permitting the purchase of 500 standard floor buses, the High Court had said that these buses must have hydraulic lifts to help differently-abled people board and de-board easily.

Malhotra contends that a standard floor bus is not disabled-friendly as it is mounted on a truck chassis, and its height makes it difficult for a disabled person to board the vehicle. The Supreme Court, in its interim order on August 2, had allowed the Delhi government to purchase 500 standard floor buses, out of the 1,000 proposed, to improve the woefully inadequate public transport system in the city.

The top court had left it to the high court to decide on the remaining 500 standard floor buses.