The Delhi government will restart the 'U-Special' bus service for students in the national capital from today (August 28). Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Transport Minister Pankaj Singh will inaugurate the service.
The youth special bus service around the Delhi University campus will provide a student-friendly transport option. The service, which was suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and shortage of buses, is being reintroduced in a modern form.
U-Special buses in a modern avatar
According to sources, in the first phase, more than 20 AC electric buses will operate. The buses will run during morning and evening hours, aligned with students' class timings. Officials said schedules and routes may be modified later as per students' requirements.
Earlier, Chief Minister Gupta had announced the relaunch of the 'U-Special' bus service, once considered a lifeline for college students. She said the revived service will return with modern upgrades such as air-conditioning, LED lighting, and music systems, making the commute more comfortable and student-friendly.
"The Delhi government is once again starting the Youth Special, which will operate on DU routes, with a little bit of music playing in the bus. This is my gift to students today," Gupta said.
University Special buses in Delhi
Introduced in 1971 by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), the 'U-Special', popularly called the University Special or Youth Special, was a lifeline for the Delhi University students. For nearly five decades, these buses were carrying lakhs of students from across the capital to the North and South Campuses.
These buses ran between DU's campuses with neighbourhoods such as Rohini, Janakpuri, Mayur Vihar, and Dwarka, while additional routes served South Campus colleges. Long before the Metro, especially the Vishwavidyalaya station, came up, the U-Special was the most dependable lifeline for students commuting to DU.
(Input: Ila Kazmi)
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