Min Gahlot announces new safety measures for bus ops
New Delhi: In a significant move aimed at enhancing safety standards for Delhi government buses, Transport minister Kailash Gahlot announced a series of precautionary measures on Wednesday. This decision follows recent incidents involving government buses, prompting a comprehensive review and subsequent reforms in the operational protocols.
The newly announced safety measures include the implementation of Aadhar-based duty allocation and biometric monitoring for bus drivers. The primary objective of these changes is to prevent instances where drivers may be assigned multiple shifts in a single day. “Ensuring the safety of our passengers and the public is our top priority,” Gahlot emphasised.
He added, “These new measures will help us monitor and manage our bus operations more effectively, reducing the risk of accidents and enhancing overall safety standards.”
As part of this initiative, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will integrate biometric face recognition systems in all depots. This technology will enable real-time monitoring to ensure that drivers are not working beyond their allotted shifts, thereby mitigating fatigue-related risks.
Additionally, DTC is set to procure two advanced bus driving simulators to improve driver training. The financial bids for these simulators have already been finalised, and training sessions are currently underway at the Nand Nagri Depot. This simulator-based training is expected to better prepare drivers for various on-road scenarios, improving their response and handling skills.
In a bid to streamline driver management and prevent the rehire of blacklisted drivers, the government will create an Aadhar-linked common pool of DTC drivers. This pool will enable the allocation of drivers across different departments and operators while keeping track of their records.
