DTC misses bus, but Delhi Metro keeps transport going

NEW DELHI: At the bus shelter adjacent to Pearey Lal Bhawan on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Sanjay Kumar, an office assistant in a private firm, strains his eyes to read the route number on the approaching Delhi Transport Corporation bus. He sighs as he notices that it is not running on route 502, which would have taken him home to Mehrauli. Kumar settles back on the steel seat, rubbing his hands for warmth on the chilly January evening.“The bus might come 10 minutes or in 50 minutes, there is no way of knowing,” he shrugs.
“I prefer travelling by buses because the stops are close to my home and office, but their frequency has been worsening each year,” Kumar said. “I do travel by Delhi Metro, but only in a hurry. My bus fare is Rs 15, while I have to shell out Rs 36 for the metro, something I can’t afford on regular basis.”

While Delhi Metro ferries approximately 30 lakh passengers a day, the combined DTC and Cluster scheme buses carry 42 lakh. Many, like Kumar, opt for bus travel, but the dwindling fleet strength is affecting their commute time. While Delhi needs around 11,000 buses, it has 5,789 on the ground.
When the Aam Aadmi Party assumed power in February 2015, the DTC fleet numbered 4,712 and the Cluster scheme had 1,402. The number of DTC buses fell to 3,781 with ageing vehicles being scrapped, and despite floating and re-floating tenders, the company has been unable to induct new buses.
AAP had promised before the last assembly polls that it would add ‘at least 5,000 new buses in five years’. The notable addition has instead been in the Cluster fleet, where the strength has gone up from 1,402 to 2,208, the new vehicles being part of the 1,000 standard-floor buses scheduled for induction from August 2019.
In this discouraging scene for bus riders, the only silver lining has been the free rides provided by the state government for women. “There has been a dip in our family’s transport expenses,” iterated Jamaluddin in Mustafabad. “The government is bringing more buses and with their arrival travelling should become more comfortable.”
Ambedkar Nagar resident Santosh Kumari similarly reported, “I’m saving at least Rs 500 a month thanks to the free bus rides. My daughter prefers to travel by Delhi Metro even though it is costlier. We hope train rides also become free for women.” This polls, AAP has promised 11,000 buses and total 500km metro network, apart from free travel for students and senior citizen, an assurance mirrored by Congress. BJP has committed to inducting 5,000 electric buses for public transport if it comes to power.
With the bus system hobbled, Delhi Metro has taken on the daily onus of moving Delhiites. It has grown from a network of 193km to 349km and from 147 stations to 253 stations in the last five years, adding three new corridors — the Pink, Magenta and Grey Lines. At 2019-end, the Phase IV of its network expansion was also cleared.
The extended connectivity has been particularly welcomed in Najafgarh and Matiala constituencies. The Grey Line, slated to touch the Dhansa border, is functional up to Najafgarh. Neeraj Singh, who lives in Jaffarpur Kalan in Najafgarh, was quick to credit the local MLA and Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot for ‘fulfilling his promise’ of delivering Delhi Metro to Najafgarh. “Once it reaches Dhansa border, things will become even better for us,” Singh said. “Many people who otherwise have to take buses and autos to exit the area can now ride a train.”
While Delhi Metro has reached almost all parts of the city now, last mile connectivity is still elusive. Before the 2015 polls, AAP had promised effective connectivity to reduce the number of crimes against women through a combination of shared autos, metro feeder services and e-rickshaws. Delhi Metro is yet to induct new feeder buses due to a fund crunch, while lack of regulation has turned the profusion of e-rickshaws into a traffic problem.
“There should be multiple facilities, such as two-wheeler services or e-cycles depending on the need of the area,” suggested Atul Goyal, president of United Residents Joint Action (URJA), an umbrella body of RWAs. Goyal added that with proper norms, e-rickshaws can be incorporated into the local area plans. URJA has prepared a ‘People’s Green Manifesto 2020 for Delhi’, where one item is the people’s demand for better public transport to reduce pollution.
The e-rickshaw is not the only mode that is both a necessity and a nuisance. “Entering Kalkaji every evening is a major hassle due to Gramin Sewa vehicles idling on the road near the Nehru Enclave metro station. These are always overloaded and dangerous for both the passengers and other vehicles,” said Kamal Sharma, a Kalkaji resident.
Amid these transport blips, CM Arvind Kejriwal has an election promise. The roads of Delhi, he says, will resemble those in London and Tokyo — if his party is re-elected.