Delhi govt begins drafting bill for Delhi Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority India News

In a major institutional overhaul aimed at transforming transportation in the national capital city, the Delhi government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, has initiated the process of drafting a comprehensive bill to establish the Delhi Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (DUMTA) along with a dedicated Delhi Urban Transport Fund (DUTF).“The proposed legislation seeks to rationalize, integrate and harmonize Delhi’s currently fragmented transport ecosystem under a single, coherent planning and governance framework. The move marks an important milestone in the government’s vision to create a modern, efficient, people-centric and environmentally sustainable transport system for the national capital,” a statement said.To ensure prompt and inclusive drafting of the proposed laws, the chief minister has constituted a high-level working group chaired by the chief secretary, the statement said. “The task force’s mandate to prepare and submit draft bills at the earliest possible opportunity reflects the administration’s sense of urgency and commitment to reform. This decision responds to long-standing requests from city planners, transportation experts, and civilian stakeholders for a unified transportation authority that can synchronize planning, investment, and operations across agencies.“Recognizing that Delhi’s rapid urbanization, population growth and increasing vehicular pressure require systemic solutions rather than piecemeal interventions, the Chief Minister took a proactive step by initiating the legislative process.The task force brings together senior officials from key departments including transport, urban development, finance, planning, public works and Delhi Police. It also includes representatives from major municipal and transport authorities such as Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Transport Corporation, National Capital Region Transport Corporation and Indian Railways. The CM suggested that renowned experts in the field of urban mobility could also be engaged to ensure that global best practices and local realities are seamlessly integrated into the proposed framework.Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta noted that Delhi’s transport agencies have historically been siled with limited coordination in route planning, infrastructure development and service delivery. “DUMTA will bring cohesion to Delhi’s entire urban transport system. By bringing all transport modes such as Metro, buses, regional railways, railways and feeder services under a single planning jurisdiction, we will ensure transport solutions are integrated, efficient and citizen-centric,” the CM said.The chief minister stressed that DUMTA will play a key role in decongesting Delhi’s roads by strengthening public transport, improving last-mile connectivity and encouraging a move away from private vehicles. She said it was part of the government’s long-term strategy to tackle air pollution, one of the capital’s most pressing challenges. Vehicle emissions remain a major local source of pollution and expanding reliable, well-connected public transport networks is critical to achieving sustainable environmental outcomes.“Our government is working on short, medium and long-term solutions to address…”