Delhi to buy 1,100 new DTC buses, replace battered fleet

Soon the old, rickety buses of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will go off the road, as the Delhi government has approved the purchase of 1,100 new standard floor buses.

Soon the old, rickety buses of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will go off the road, as the Delhi government has approved the purchase of 1,100 new standard floor buses.

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A decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting, headed by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

“We have been taking steps to augment the fleet of the DTC buses,” said Dikshit.

According to Delhi government officials, there is an urgent need to replace 1,886-odd DTC buses that have completed their prescribed life for economic run.

“It is not only causing losses to the DTC, but is also affecting the image by using these buses. So a decision has been taken to replace them with efficient CNG buses,” said a senior Delhi government official.

A decision has been taken to procure 1,100 standard-floor, fully-built CNG buses for the city service fleet.

“These buses will be purchased with maintenance for 7, 50,000 kilometres or 12 years operation, whichever is later,” added the official.

These vehicles will cost approximately Rs. 330 crore. Currently, DTC has 5,667 buses, out of which 3,781 are modern low-floor buses, purchased over the last five years. “The remaining 1,886 buses are obsolete,” said a senior Delhi government official.