NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has finalised a scheme to launch a mobile application-based air-conditioned bus service to encourage office-goers to leave their cars at home and travel by public transport, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

The Delhi Premium Bus Aggregator Scheme envisions a first-of-its-kind city bus service in the country that will allow people to book their seats from a mobile app, Kejriwal said at a Press conference at his official residence.

These buses will not have any standing passengers and the fare will be higher than for other buses owned or operated by the city government’s Delhi Transport Corporation. Also, women will not be entitled to free rides on these buses. “The fare of the premium buses will be market-driven, so there will not be any free rides for the women,” said an official.

These premium buses, which will have WiFi, CCTV, GPS, panic button, and other facilities, will not be run by the government but by private operators.