Delhi Govt moves to create unified transport authority
CM forms task force to draft Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority Bill
In a major step toward overhauling the Capital’s transport governance, the Delhi Government has initiated the process of drafting a comprehensive law for the creation of the Delhi Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (DUMTA) and a dedicated Delhi Urban Transport Fund (DUTF), aiming to bring Delhi’s fragmented transport system under a single, integrated and sustainable planning framework.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has constituted a high-level task force under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to prepare the draft Bill at the earliest.
The task force includes senior officials from key departments such as transport, urban development, finance, planning, public works and Delhi Police as well as representatives from agencies like Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), NCRTC and the Indian Railways. The Chief Minister has also suggested coopting renowned urban transport experts to incorporate global best practices.
Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, CM Rekha Gupta said Delhi’s transport agencies had historically worked in silos, leading to overlapping jurisdictions, poor coordination and inefficiencies in planning and service delivery. She said DUMTA would bring all modes of transport, including Metro, buses, regional rail and feeder services, under a single planning framework to ensure better coordination and citizen-centric mobility solutions.
The Chief Minister stressed that the move is central to Delhi’s long-term strategy to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution by strengthening public transport and improving last-mile connectivity. She said vehicular emissions remain a major source of pollution in Delhi, and an integrated transport authority is crucial to encouraging people to shift from private vehicles to reliable public transport.
The proposed DUMTA aligns with the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) 2006, which recommends Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTAs) for all million-plus cities to enable integrated planning, unified ticketing and coordinated implementation of transport projects.
Once established, DUMTA is expected to oversee the implementation of a comprehensive mobility plan prepared by Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), prepare a transport investment programme, coordinate among transport agencies in Delhi-NCR, manage the Delhi Urban Transport Fund and promote multimodal integration with rational fare structures.
The task force will finalise the structure of the DUMTA, conduct stakeholder consultations, assist in enacting the Bill and organise board meetings to define the authority’s vision, mission and goals.
