A small crowd sits at the low benches of the bus stop. Everyone is eagerly waiting for the next bus, their head glued in one direction. As the bus arrives, everyone rushes forward and tries to find their way through an already crowded bus. They have no other alternative. The next bus will be as crowded as the next. They are sweating, sandwiched between people and their bags. They have learnt to keep their wallets safe and minds occupied through the not-so-enjoyable journey.
This is the average experience of a Dilliwala travelling in the DTC buses. Too few buses and too many people is a story that repeats again and again in our city’s public transport system. A public transport system composed of safe, convenient travel with last-mile connectivity and reliable frequency is apparently too much to ask for.
In my understanding, people from the lower strata of society make up most of the DTC’s commuters as they find the low fares affordable as compared to the Delhi Metro. In the words of a commuter who wished to remain anonymous, “behtar ho sakti par dhyan kaun de” (it can be better, but who really cares?).
The same feeling of helplessness is echoed by most of the daily commuters of DTC buses who find their voices unheard in a political system that does not consider public transport to be an electorally “rewarding” issue.
In numbers: The story of a public transport system in decline
The problem of unreliable bus frequency is interlinked with the inherent structural defects in our policymaking. A major issue plaguing the Delhi Transport Corporation is its gross inadequacy in terms of bus fleet size, i.e., the number of buses operating under the ownership of DTC.
In an affidavit submitted by the State Government in 2018, the ideal fleet size for Delhi should be 11,000 buses. Currently, the fleet size is 7135 buses, comprising 4088 government-owned buses (red, green and blue buses) and 3047 cluster buses (orange) operated by private players under the DIMTS. An inadequate bus fleet size results in unreliable bus frequency, eventually leading to overcrowding and higher waiting times.
The numbers tell the story of a public transport system in decline. DTC bus routes dropped from 556 in 2010-11 to 453 in 2017-18. Fleet size dropped from 6342 in 2010-11 to 3849 in 2018-19. For almost a decade, no new buses were added to the DTC fleet as successive governments chose to run cluster buses instead. The average age of the standard CNG fleet was 10 years in 2018-19. An ageing fleet means more breakdowns and higher maintenance costs. When no new buses are added, even when the population of Delhi has increased significantly, commuters are forced to use the limited number of buses.
Shockingly, in a report by CAG, Delhi Transport Corporation accounted for 99% of the losses incurred by Delhi Government PSUs. The loss of 4,329.41 crore incurred by the DTC also wiped out the net worth of investments done by the Transport Department. Unfortunately, the problems of commuters do not make their way into the speeches of opposition MLAs. The AAP government has also failed to explain why they haven’t added 5000 new buses in 5 years, a promise made in their 2015 manifesto.
Unfortunately, for us common people, Public Transport is deemed to be a “secondary” issue and hence, is not considered worthy enough to generate crowds at rallies or media sound bites. It is limited to the last pages of party manifestos and not talked about either in the political world or mainstream media.
As always, the common man suffers
Take the example of Suresh Singh, who works as a Halwai in Bhajanpura. He uses the Mudrika Service on the Ring Road to get to his workplace daily. Suresh says that “kabhi kabhi to ek ghanta intezar karna pad jata hai (sometimes, I end up waiting for an hour for the bus)”.
He often gets late to his work and has to take an auto-rickshaw in case the bus is too late. The choice for Suresh is to either wait for over an hour or spend an extra 150-200 rupees each day, something he cannot afford. Suresh is not alone. His story is the story of thousands of people from marginalised sections of Delhi who have to face the consequences of an inept system.
For instance, in this The Scroll story, Preeti Singh, a wheelchair user suffering from cerebral palsy, says that she often has to wait for long periods at the bus stop for a bus she can board. This is not because buses do not ply her route but because most buses are either inaccessible for her or the staff of low-floor accessible buses ignore her at the bus stop. Several women echoed the problems they faced due to unreliable bus frequency.
Isha Chaudhary, a student, remarked that from the AIIMS metro station to Satyaniketan, “The frequency is very low, next to nil”. For women, higher waiting times also mean they have to worry about their safety. Aditi, a DU student, says, “I know that DTC buses are safer, but their frequency is very low. The choice is between being unsafe while waiting for a DTC bus and being unsafe travelling in a private bus”.
The problems ahead
An easy solution to the problem would be just to say, “Why don’t we buy more buses and include them in our fleet?”. However, the problem is deeper than that. The tendering and procurement process is often very lengthy and delayed due to politics. The Print quoted an anonymous senior official in the Transport Department who said, “Several tenders failed to find bidders because the terms of the annual maintenance contract were found to be unreasonable by manufacturers.” A 2020 tender for 1000 buses was delayed after the Lieutenant Governor ordered a probe over complaints of irregularities.
Recently, the Delhi Government inducted 400 new E-buses, increasing the fleet size for the first time in a decade. Most of the old DTC buses will be phased out by 2025, and the government has planned to have more than 10,000 buses after 2025. However, the question is, will the buses be procured before the old ones are taken off the road? When route rationalisation (revision of bus routes to reduce inefficiency and fuel costs) was last done in June due to overage buses being taken off the road, many commuters had to face longer waiting times.
Any new buses must also have the space to park them in the depot. While the government says they have allocated 1500 crores for depot electrification to accommodate new buses, it will be interesting to see how they will create space for 3000 more buses in just two years.
Anita, a commuter who works at a bank, told me that she had been waiting for 40 minutes for the 890 bus. She complains about the irregular bus service as sometimes buses come at a gap of 10 minutes while at other times, the next bus comes over an hour late. The 890 bus route terminates at Hastsal Village LIG Flats. This bus stop does not even have a proper shed or a depot. Cluster buses merely park on the side of the road. How can we induct more buses on this route when we do not even have a place for buses to park?
Is there hope for revival?
The story of Delhi Transportation Corporation is a tragic one – the consequences of delayed and out-of-touch policy decisions are ultimately faced by the poor of this city. The bus transit system in Delhi is stretched to its limits and is in poor health regarding revenue and infrastructure. While the government has repeatedly promised to cut long waiting times and improve coverage and frequency, the ground reality is different.
The revival of DTC will require political will, meaningful reform and a community-led approach. An effective bus transit system will help reduce car dependency and traffic jams in Delhi. It will provide the necessary economic growth for the working class, reduce air pollution and mitigate our carbon footprint. If the government can fulfil its promise of having 8000 electric buses by 2025, it is projected to save 4.67 lakh tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
It is clear that we need a bigger fleet size to serve a population of 2 crores. At the same time, the focus should also be on making buses more frequent and, most importantly, safe and reliable. We need wider coverage not only on busy roads but also connectivity in inner colonies and rural areas. By embracing innovation, sustainability and efficiency, we can ensure that DTC becomes a driving force for the growth and evolution of this city. It can be a part of the success story of millions and a hallmark of our city’s identity.
Featured image is for representational purposes only.
This story has been written as part of the My City Writers’ Training Program.