Delhi government’s ambitious bus service plan hits a roadblock

People’s wait for getting bus service on time may get longer as the Delhi government’s ambitious plan to run 3,000 mini and midi buses on the city’s roads has hit a roadblock. A file pertaining to the plan has been making rounds from one department to another for the last six months as officers concerned have raised objections to the feasibility of the plan. Delhiites have been facing difficulties in commuting due to shortage of buses in the national capital. 

At present, around 5,800 buses, including that of 4,200 DTC and 1,600 buses of cluster, are plying across the city, but there is need of 16,000 buses to cater to the passengers. Sources said that in the last four years, only 200 buses have been added to the city’s roads because manufacturers were unable to provide low-floor buses. Manufacturers are saying that they would be able to provide 1,000 low-floor buses by the end of next year, they said. “Government has tried to clear all objections, but we don’t know at whose behest, officers are not clearing the file pertaining to the procurement of midi and mini buses,” the sources said.