Delhi commuters had a tough day after Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus drivers went on strike on Monday to protest against the death of a 42-year-old bus driver in an alleged road-rage incident. The DTC association also rejected the state government’s compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the victim’s family and demanded an ex-gratia sum of Rs 1 crore instead. Members of the DTC union said their strike will continue on Tuesday as well if their demands are not fulfilled.
Most of Delhi Transport Corporation’s 4,705 buses went off the roads with hundreds of drivers and conductors assembling at 45 depots spread across the city. The strike also affected DTC operations in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai met officials to sort out the issue arising from the Sunday morning incident when a biker, furious after being hit by a DTC bus, beat the driver to death. Since Monday morning, drivers and conductors gathered at the depots and shouted slogans demanding strict action against the biker who has been arrested.
“Efforts are on to normalise the situation,” said a Delhi transport ministry official.
Of DTC’s 4,705 buses, as many as 1,275 are air-conditioned and 2,506 non air-conditioned low floor buses. The rest are old, standard buses. Meanwhile, DTC spokesman RS Minhas said efforts are on to bring relief to the commuters. The worst-affected areas, he said, were north Delhi and the rural parts of the city.
“We managed to put 704 buses on the road against all odds,” he added. The number is likely to increase in the evening,” he said.
Private buses are plying in fewer numbers. However, the traffic movement was not affected and no blockade was reported from anywhere in the city.
“We will go on strike on Tuesday if our demands of Rs 1 crore for the victim’s family, a job for his kin is not fulfilled by the Delhi government,” said Rampath Kasana, general secretary of Delhi Parivahan Mazdoor Sangh.