PEOPLE SUFFERING DUE TO MISMANAGEMENT OF DTC

After increase in the price of CNG, Petrol, Diesel, Service Tax, Stamp Duty etc. now the Delhi Government wants to punish the DTC commuters as a result of mismanagement of DTC. It has planned increase in the fares of DTC Buses. The fare of Buses going to Faridabad has been increased by Rs. 8 for the AC Buses and Rs. 3 for the Non AC Buses with effect from 22nd June surreptitiously. 

BJP Delhi Pradesh President Shri Vijender Gupta has said that the main reason of loss in DTC is its mismanagement. Many public transport experts and surveys have found that the reason of loss in DTC is that one third of the Buses do not go on the roads because they are defective. In the year 2001-02 the total loss of DTC was Rs.232.04 crores. Now this loss has increased to Rs.3085.12 crores in the year 2011-12. The Government and DTC frame big schemes for making the management efficient but it is never implemented. 

In order to cover this loss by the DTC, the Buses will have to be run like private Bus operators. Many reports have been submitted to this effect but they are biting dust. Due to defects in one third of the Buses they remain unfit for flying every day. This is the biggest reason for loss. The next reason is the purchase of sub standard spares for the repair of DTC Buses. Officials at all the levels are involved in it. Due to fitting of substandard spares other parts also become defective. Substandard tyre tubes are fitted and shown as new ones. Recently Ticket forgery scam has come to light. This is also one of the reasons of loss. DTC spends about Rs. 90 crore on pay and allowances but only 50 percent of the employees really work. If the DTC is run efficiently then this big fleet can earn profits. In place of improving the management, the Government considers increasing fares as the only option and preparations have been made for it. 

It may be mentioned that the Government had make announcement that the operational routes of the DTC in Delhi have been divided into 34 clusters. Buses of different colours shall ply on these roads so that the commuters may recognize the route by seeing the colour of the Bus. It was claimed that 3000 Buses shall be brought in the first phase but only 1500 Buses have been brought. Even these Buses have not been approved in technical survey whereas these Buses have been purchased after paying 15 to 20 lakh rupees more than the market price. It is a matter of enquiry which is still pending. The case of purchasing Buses at exorbitant rates is pending in the Delhi High Court. 

DTC and independent engineers have found in the inspection of new Buses that their wiring is substandard due to which about 1 dozen Buses have caught fire suddenly while plying in the past. One more problem is that these Buses cannot run over the flyovers till they reach speed of more than 70 kmph. According to an order of the Government the speed of DTC Buses is 40 kmph maximum. No DTC Bus can cross the flyover at this speed. Hence the speed regulators from these Buses have been removed surreptitiously. Due to this accident may take place at any time.