Cash strapped DTC wants to cut losses, expand

Prepare to pay more for your bus ride to office from November 1. The Delhi cabinet on Monday approved the Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) proposal to revise fares by almost 70 per cent — the first hike since June 2007.

Prepare to pay more for your bus ride to office from November 1. The Delhi cabinet on Monday approved the Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) proposal to revise fares by almost 70 per cent — the first hike since June 2007.

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The new fares are applicable to the entire DTC fleet and to Blueline buses. There will be three slabs — Rs 5 (up to 3 km), Rs 10 (3-10 km) and Rs 15 (10 km and more) in non-AC buses.

The students’ pass, which costs Rs 12.50 per month, will cost Rs 100. The general pass will almost double from Rs 450 to Rs 800. For Rs 200 more, you can travel in AC comfort. The daily pass goes up to Rs 40 from Rs 25. Seasonal passes for senior citizens, however, will remain unchanged at Rs 250 per month.

The decision comes three days after the Delhi Metro approved a 45 per cent fare hike, starting November second week.

More than 8,00,000 (eight lakh) people travel by DTC’s 3,200 green and yellow buses — 800 of them low-floor — everyday. By the Commonwealth Games next October, DTC will have doubled its fleet to 7,000 — 5,000 of them low-floor.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the hike was imperative to funding this upgradation. “DTC has been striving to augment its fleet… Operational cost is also increasing. It is necessary to effect a justified hike.”

“With the hike, we hope to bring down DTC’s annual loss from nearly Rs 575 crore to Rs 200 crore,” transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said.