Thirty buses caught fire in Delhi in the last eight years, including four this year, according to the city government’s data on fire incidents in DTC and cluster buses.
According to a transport department report, short-circuits were the most common reason behind the fire incidents that mostly occurred in buses around 12 years of age. The Delhi government informed the Assembly about this on Monday.
The data showed four buses caught fire this year, seven last year, two in 2021 and one in 2020. Six buses were involved in fire incidents in 2019 while the figure stood at one each in 2017 and 2018. Five buses caught fire in 2015 and three in 2016, according to the data.
The transport department has, over the years, constituted different committees to look into the causes of fire. The common reasons have emerged to be short circuit, engine overheating and drivers flagging technical issues but the issues not being addressed.