Congress wants AAP government to declare Public Transport Day on June 5

NEW DELHI: Congress today suggested that Aam Aadmi Party government promote 'World Environment Day' as ' Public Transport Day' and appealed to Delhi ministers and officials to avail facilities such as Metro and DTC buses to encourage use of mass transit.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, who has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this regard, accused AAP and BJP of engaging in a "power tussle" and disregarding issues of public interest.

"We suggest that the Delhi Government declare and promote June 5 as 'Public Transport Day'. We also urge the government to take necessary steps to create public awareness on this very relevant issue and observe one day every month as public transport day," Maken said.

DPCC chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee, who had come up with the idea according to Maken, said that the basic premise of the move was to "push more people" towards facilities of mass transport which she said was a norm in several western countries.

On its part, all the leaders and workers of the party's Delhi unit have been advised to use the Delhi Metro. In a symbolic move, they will gather at Connaught Place and travel to Mandi House in the metro in the afternoon, Maken said.

Citing several reports on Delhi's deteriorating air quality, Maken slammed the AAP and BJP for being more "interested in wrangling" then taking concrete steps towards improving the situation.

"We want the government to focus on multiple transport services. But unfortunately government is more keen on subsidising power companies and water. They have shown least interest to follow up with IIT Kanpur which was commissioned in 2013 by Congress government to conduct a study on Delhi's air," he said.