DTC buses, Delhi Metro to ease travel woes on Raksha Bandhan

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided to provide free rides to women in its buses on the occasion Raksha Bandhan on Sunday, notwithstanding a warning by contractual staffers of the public transporter to go on mass leave on the day of the festival.

Additionally, keeping in mind the high ridership on the day of Raksha Bandhan and its evening, Delhi Metro has decided to run nearly 600 extra train trips on Sunday and deploy additional security personnel to handle the rush expected on the two days, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said on Friday.

Moreover, sections of the Metro where services on Sundays usually start at 8 am, will have services available from 6 am for the festival.

The free travel facility in buses will be available for women in normal and air-conditioned buses, from 8 am to 10 pm on Sunday, DTC said in a statement on Friday.

However, on Thursday, Karmchari Ekta Manch, a union of contractual DTC employees, asked all contract-based drivers and conductors to go on leave en masse on Raksha Bandhan.

The move has come in protest against reduction in wages of contract-based drivers and conductors, in the wake of a recent High Court order, said the Manch leaders.

The depot managers have issued notices to the staff asking them not to avail leave from August 23 to 31.

However, if the contractual drivers and conductors go on mass leave, the services of the DTC may be paralysed causing inconvenience to commuters.

"Keeping in view the heavy rush of commuters on Raksha Bandhan, the DTC has also decided to put its maximum buses on the road. The depot managers have been directed for maintenance of buses so that all of them are timely on road," the DTC statement said. Sufficient number of traffic supervisory staff will be deputed on the heavy loading points for the convenience of commuters, it added.