World | India
Delhi Transport Corporation to take a break from school
The government-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided against ferrying school students in future.
- By Ajay Jha Chief, Correspondent
- Published: 23:22 August 11, 2008
New Delhi: The government-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided against ferrying school students in future.
The idea is to gradually reduce the number of buses leased out to various schools and use the buses to strengthen the public transport system.
The decision has, however, created concerns for both school administrations and parents since DTC buses are considered to be a safer mode of transportation compared to privately operated buses.
According to DTC chairman Ramesh Negi, their top priority is to look after transportation requirements of the masses rather than giving buses to schools.
DTC currently provides about 1,300 buses to various schools for a nominal charge of either Rs25 (Dh2.2) per kilometre or Rs1,250 (Dh108.9) per day. Since licences of the privately-owned blueline buses, termed as killer buses, are being allowed to lapse in order to phase them out from the city roads before December 2010 Commonwealth Games being hosted in the metropolis, DTC is under increasing pressure to augment its services further.
To start with, the DTC management is not entertaining fresh applications of schools and has proposed to review existing agreements as well.
Self service
It is of the view that the onus is on the school managements to provide transportation services for its pupils.
While many schools have over the years bought their own buses, many schools continue to be dependent on DTC to ferry their students, creating shortage of buses particularly in the morning hours which clash with the time when millions head for their workplaces.
DTC has already withdrawn its U-Special services, which was once the primary mode of transportation for Delhi University students. The buses under U-Special were not leased to any colleges. They ran on various routes and general public were barred from using the services.
However, with Delhi University getting connected with the the Metro Rail network, U-Special buses gradually lost its charms enabling DTC to quietly suspend the services.
DTC currently provides its buses to schools with trained drivers and conductors. Instead of helping parents, the system has been enabling schools to earn extra money since they charge more from students for arranging transportation.
The existing agreements would not be terminated at one go and the school administrations would be given adequate advance notices before either the agreements are terminated or are not renewed.
DTC, which had not long ago moved into oblivion and was on the verge of being folded up, has witnessed a remarkable revival with the provincial Delhi government giving it funds to purchase new buses.
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