In the past couple of weeks, I have noticed at least 4 different DTC buses that have broken down in the middle of busy roads.
Not only does it create major traffic that lasts a good half hour or so, but it also brings to light the poor maintenance that these buses get.
And now with the tragic death of 2 people in Azadpur where a DTC bus hit an auto and 2 e-rickshaws, it truly makes one wonder why public transport, no matter whether they are the privately owned Blueline Buses or the state-owned ones, is given so little attention.
The reason for the accident that occurred yesterday on 24th May 2017, is said to be due to a tyre burst. As per reports, the accident also injured 3 other people when the driver supposedly lost control over the bus.
According to statistics, from about 3,780 DTC buses there have been 5,950 breakdown cases recorded in February itself.
Read More: 10 Weirdos We Meet While Using Public Transportation
Why Are DTC Buses So Ill- Maintained?
According to reports, a good number low-floor buses by DTC or the Delhi Transport Corporation, that is almost 77% are ageing and the authorities are finding it difficult to keep up maintenance of them all.
The problem as said by DTC officials is actually the cost of maintaining these buses being so high that a lot of manufacturers do not want to deal with their upkeep and spending so much money on them.
However, DTC officials allegedly say that while they pay accordingly and as per the costs needed, manufacturers claim that the expenses for maintenance are greater than what they have funds for.
The AMC or annual maintenance contract that was introduced in 2007 is also considered to be a problem area when it comes to proper maintenance of DTC buses.
The contract that was added in 2010 has now become an issue of contention as manufacturers are reluctant to go ahead with this clause due to a rising number of penalties put by DTC as well as an increase in cases about bus breakdowns happening.
But It Is Always The Public Suffering Isn’t It?
However, as usual, it is the public that has to suffer while the companies and authorities fight over which is right.
Be it as major as the deaths caused by the accident or as minor as causing heavy traffic jams, public transport in Delhi it seems is just not a priority.
Image Credits: Google Images
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http://edtimes.in/2017/05/delhi-metro-might-getting-pricier-sooner-think/
http://edtimes.in/2014/02/delhi-metro-vs-dtc-bus/
