Delhi slashes bus fares to battle pollution

New Delhi, Dec 21 : With a view to battle pollution by encouraging people to take public transport, the Delhi government on Wednesday significantly cut bus fares for January.

Commuters will now have to pay a maximum of Rs 10 to travel in air conditioned buses. This is down from Rs 25. The maximum fare in non-air conditioned buses has been slashed from Rs 15 to Rs 5.

The Delhi government runs some 4,500 buses.

"The decision was taken to reduce the pollution level in Delhi which is at peak during winter," Transport Minister Satyendar Jain said here. "We decided to reduce fares to encourage the use of public transport."

Jain hoped the decision would help bring down the number of cars on the roads.

Last month, pollution levels soared in Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world.