96% of DTC buses back on road, Delhi HC told; petition closed

New DelhiThe Delhi High Court on Wednesday closed a petition challenging the ongoing strike by bus drivers engaged with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), after the DTC submitted that 96% of its fleet was operational on roads amid the ongoing strike

New Delhi

The court said that since the situation was improving, it did not intend to pass any direction. (Representative photo)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday closed a petition challenging the ongoing strike by bus drivers engaged with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), after the DTC submitted that 96% of its fleet was operational on roads amid the ongoing strike.

Taking note of the submission, the court closed the petition, saying that since the situation was improving, it did not intend to pass any direction.

“Since the situation is improving, we do not intend to pass any direction. We hope and expect that all measures shall be taken to ensure that the entire fleet of DTC buses in Delhi is on the road providing services to the commuters. We thus expect that the state shall review the situation and take appropriate action to ensure that plying of DTC buses is maintained on the roads,” the court said in the order.

The DTC told the Delhi High Court that it sent a proposal to the Delhi government for invoking the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act between September 16 and 17 amid the ongoing strike.

The submission was made by DTC’s lawyer before a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia in a petition filed by one Ami Sisodia, challenging the ongoing strike by DTC drivers and seeking restoration of the services.

Drivers engaged through private agencies have been on strike since September 15, demanding a “basic plus dearness allowance (DA)” salary structure, similar to that of government employees, and an increase in their daily wage to at least ₹2,000 from the current pay of ₹862. They have also been seeking medical insurance, financial assistance in the event of accidents and paid leaves.

In her petition, Sisodia submitted that the disruption had especially affected women commuters, who rely on the Delhi government’s free bus travel scheme, forcing them to opt for more expensive modes of transport. She said the disruption had also affected a wide cross-section of Delhi’s population, including students, daily wage workers, salaried employees, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, patients and economically weaker sections dependent on affordable public transport.

The petition further pointed out that the Delhi government had previously recognised DTC and Cluster Bus services as an “essential transport service of critical importance” under the statutory provisions governing essential services.