A new Delhi-Bihar bus service has started with 77 buses and discounted fares for passengers travelling home for Chhath, creating additional inter-state travel capacity for people headed to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The arrangement covers five Bihar divisions and includes safety, emissions and ticketing requirements for operators.
According to the report by Live Hindustan, the initial services are being operated between Delhi and five destinations: Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnia, Gaya and Darbhanga. Muzaffarpur has been allocated 36 buses, followed by Patna with 13, Purnia with 12, Gaya with 10 and Darbhanga with six.
The Delhi Transport Department has approved reduced fares across non-air-conditioned seater, non-air-conditioned sleeper, air-conditioned seater and air-conditioned sleeper categories. The reported concessions range from Rs 134 to Rs 1,028, depending on the bus category and route. Delhi Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh said the reduced fares were intended to provide financial relief to passengers travelling during the festival period.
On the Delhi-Patna route, the report said the non-air-conditioned seater fare was reduced from Rs 1,615 to Rs 1,221, while the air-conditioned seater fare was reduced from Rs 1,980 to Rs 1,361. The report described the concessions on these services as Rs 430 and Rs 619, respectively.
The agreement establishes 18 inter-state routes connecting Delhi with major Bihar cities, including Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj, Buxar, Nawada, Madhubani and Bihar Sharif. Several routes will pass through major Uttar Pradesh cities such as Noida, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Varanasi, linking the service to existing regional travel corridors rather than limiting it to direct Delhi-Bihar journeys.
The arrangement also sets operational conditions for participating buses. Only vehicles meeting BS-VI or higher emission standards, along with CNG and electric buses, will be permitted to operate under the agreement. Buses must be fitted with vehicle location tracking devices and emergency buttons. The maximum permitted age is 10 years for diesel buses and 15 years for petrol and CNG buses.
The agreement is intended to simplify inter-state operations by recognising tickets issued in one state across the full journey. After operators pay taxes applicable in their home state and obtain the required countersignature for permits from the other state, additional special road tax, motor vehicle tax or passenger tax will not be imposed, except where permitted by law.
The agreement will remain valid for 10 years from the date of signing, or until the two states enter into a new agreement. The period may be extended by mutual consent. The immediate operational priority is to provide additional regulated capacity on high-demand routes during the Chhath travel period.
