Bus routes in Delhi to be reorganised: Govt asks IIT Delhi to prepare a revised plan by February 2027

Delhi’s bus routes are set to be reviewed and reorganised based on passenger demand and the availability of other public transport services such as the Metro, e-rickshaws and Gramin Seva, senior government officials said. The government has assigned IIT Delhi the task of rationalising bus routes, with the revised plan expected to be ready by February 2027, a TOI report stated.

Integrated plan for public transport

The government plans to prepare an integrated route plan covering different modes of public transport. The aim is to avoid situations where several services operate along the same route or provide connectivity to the same area while other parts of the city have limited public transport access.

A senior official said: “We believe the exercise will help make better use of existing resources and connect more areas to public transport. It will also allow bus connectivity to be increased in areas where there is a greater need for it.”


The exercise is already under way, with passenger surveys being conducted in different parts of Delhi. The feedback will be used while preparing the revised route plan.

Passenger surveys across Delhi

As part of the exercise, feedback is being collected for 121 routes in the east zone, 181 routes in the west zone and 194 routes in the north zone.

Officials said the review will not focus only on bus routes. It will also consider the availability and connectivity of other public transport options in each area.

This approach is intended to identify routes where bus services overlap with other modes and areas where additional connectivity may be required.

Fewer parallel buses on Metro corridors

Bus services could be reduced on corridors where Metro connectivity is already available. The government may also reduce bus routes that largely duplicate existing Metro services.

The resources freed through such changes could then be redirected to areas where passengers have fewer public transport options.

The plan is therefore aimed at changing the distribution of bus services rather than simply reducing the number of buses operating in the city.

E-rickshaw routes to be reorganised

The government also plans to review e-rickshaw routes in the next stage of the exercise.

E-rickshaws and autos are expected to play a greater role in last-mile connectivity, particularly in areas that do not have direct access to buses or Metro services.

The idea is to link these smaller transport modes with the wider public transport network so that passengers can reach their final destinations more easily.

Railway stations to become multi-modal hubs

The government is also working on plans to develop Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi railway stations, along with several other stations, as integrated multi-modal transit hubs.

These hubs are expected to bring different public transport services together at major passenger points. The plan could allow commuters to shift between different modes of transport as part of a connected network.

Another official said: “For Delhi commuters, the exercise could mean better connectivity without having to depend on multiple overlapping services for the same journey. By aligning bus routes with metro and last-mile services, passengers could get more convenient connections, while areas currently needing better public transport access could see services redirected towards them.”

Revised route plan expected by February 2027

IIT Delhi is handling the bus route rationalisation exercise, while passenger feedback and the availability of other transport modes will form part of the assessment.

The revised plan is expected to be completed by February 2027. Its focus will be on matching public transport services with passenger demand and reducing duplication between different modes.