911 More Low Floor Buses before Games

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) told the Delhi high court that 911 more low-floor buses would be put on the road before the Commonwealth Games to address the traffic problem in the national capital.

Appearing before a division bench of Justices A K Sikri and Reva Khetrapal, DTC said it would soon introduce more than 900 buses which would increase the strength of its fleet to 6,500.

The court asked the city government to chalk out a plan to address the transport problem in the city in view of the Commonwealth Games to be held in October even as it allowed a four month extension to the government to phase-out Bluelines and replace them with its new fleet.

‘‘We have the Commonwealth Games coming in two months. Do you think from that angle? Many people would be coming to the city,’’ the court said, when senior advocate Kailash Vasudev, who is assisting the court, pointed out that government has failed to form a policy to tackle the problem of shortage of Blue line buses.

The amicus complained that by the Supreme Court order there should be minimum 10,000 buses in the city, but government has failed to increase the number of buses.

The court was hearing a matter in which it had taken suo motu cognizance following an accident involving a Blue line bus in October 2008 in which 8 people were killed at Badarpur area.

The court had directed the phase-out of Blue line buses, after which the city government launched low floor buses last year. It had also directed the city government to frame guidelines for erring drivers, bus operators and owners for violating traffic rules.

Meanwhile, HC also asked the government to place a fresh status report before it on the progress made in installing GPRS in buses as a means to check the speed at which it is being driven and to check accidents.

ASI with DDA Demolished Encroachment around Gol Gumbad

Weeks after conservation work on Lodi-period Gol Gumbad commenced, the state archaeology department along with Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday finally demolished all the encroachments in the vicinity of the monument. The structure is crucial for the government because of its proximity to Jawaharlal Nehru stadium the main venue for the Commonwealth Games 2010.

The conservation work at the monument is being undertaken by INTACH Delhi Chapter. On Wednesday afternoon, three unauthorized kiosks located a few feet from the Gumbad were removed by DDA. Police was also deployed process as locals protested. ‘‘We requested DDA to hand over the vacant land surrounding Gol Gumbad a long time ago and it took up to two months to settle the issue,’’ said an official from state archaeology department.

DTC Wants Speed Limit to be Scraped, Moves Supreme Court

Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking relaxation of the speed barrier of 40 km/hr. A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India posted the matter for hearing by another bench on Monday.

DTC prayed for permission to ‘‘operate its 600 buses in Delhi and NCR areas during the Games without speed-control devices”.

The application cited the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore to drive home the point that ‘‘in the event of a terrorist strike, speedy evacuation/exit’’ will be hampered by the speed governors currently installed in all DTC buses as per a 1997 SC directive.

DTC pleaded that since its fleet of 600 buses will be used to carry only athletes, officials, support staff and the media, they should be permitted to travel at a higher speed. DTC informed the SC that roughly 5,000 new buses purchased by the corporation have ‘‘standard and integral speed governors” that can be recalibrated by a computer.

Pointing out that the public will not be put in harm’s way if the Games buses are driven at a higher speed through ‘‘secure and sanitized corridors’’, the DTC sought a two-month waiver from September to October. It promised to recalibrate the Games buses back to 40km/hr once the sporting event got over.

Earlier, apprehensive that terrorists may attempt to repeat the Lahore bus attack during the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Police top brass had asked the government and the organizing committee to either replace the DTC’s low-floor buses with Volvos or remove their speed governors.

In a confidential communiqué, the cops had also insisted that dark films be put on the windows of the 600 DTC buses that will carry sportspersons.

For this, Games organizers and the state government exchanged letters to find a solution since the fixing of speed limit is a judicial decision binding on all.

Manufacturers Cited Shift In Emission Norm; Deadline for Bus Delivery to be Extended

The new fleet of over 600 low-floor buses that was scheduled to be in by June will now be delivered only by end August. The Delhi government on Monday extended the deadline for the manufacturers to deliver 625 buses to August 31.

The manufacturers Tata and Ashok Leyland cited the shift from Euro III to Euro IV norms as the reason for the delay. The Delhi cabinet, led by chief minister Sheila Dikshit, discussed the issue and studied the proposal submitted by the two companies. After deliberations, the cabinet also decided that the penalty for not meeting the June deadline will not be levied.

In the first round, 625 low-floor buses were brought in. This was followed by an order for another 2,500 buses. Of these, 1,800 buses are already in use while the rest are being added from time to time. Under the contract, the state government could place an order for 25% more buses and hence 625 more buses were sought by June.

With the June deadline over, the manufacturers were asked to explain the delay. On Monday, a proposal from the manufacturer citing the reasons for the delay and the plan of action for the coming months in the context of delivery of the 625 buses was presented before the cabinet for review and approval.

Operators for 16 New Clusters Included But no low-floor buses this time

In what comes as another step forward to put Bluelines off Delhi roads, the transport department has appointed operators for another three of the 16 clusters on which buses will be run by large private operators as a replacement of the Blueline scheme.

The bid prices of the three new clusters have been lesser than what was quoted for the first one. According to sources, the lowest bid for Cluster 2 was Rs 53.38 crore, for Cluster 3 was Rs 50.35 crore, for Cluster 4 was Rs 38.99 crore and for Cluster 5 was Rs 31.48 crore. One of the reasons for this is that the first cluster will have low-floor buses running on all routes while the government has allowed the new operators to bring in standard floor buses, which are cheaper.

Also, the number of buses was reportedly the maximum in Cluster 1 because of which both capital and operational costs are very high. The second cluster will have 232 buses running on 37 routes, Cluster 3 has 182 buses running on 29 routes, Cluster 4 has 148 buses running on 20 routes and Cluster 5 has 120 buses running on 20 routes.

‘‘The clusters have been awarded to Indraprastha Logistics Private Limited, a firm run by a Blueline operator and AB Grain Transport Service Ltd,’’ said sources. The transport department had come out with tenders for the four clusters at one go and the technical bids were opened on May 7.

Before this stage, sources revealed that a total of eight applicants had qualified for the technical evaluations and included for the price bid. These included four collectives of Blueline operators Govardhan Transport, Manko Bus Service, City Life Buses and Indraprastha Logistics Limited (IPL), in addition to AB Grain Transport Service, Beatle India, DNA, and Quick Bus Service.

The first cluster has already been awarded to Star Bus Private Limited, in which a majority stake is owned by Spice Jet MD Ajay Singh. The operator is expected to have service running before the Commonwealth Games as he was given six months to procure buses and set up systems like a Global Positioning System (GPS) control room, bus staff, etc. The first cluster will see 231 new buses running on 32 routes which mainly crisscross south Delhi areas.

A Single ticket for DTC Bus, Delhi Metro and CWG Event

Come October and you can use the ticket you’ve bought to watch the Commonwealth Games for a ride on the Metro or a DTC bus. On Thursday, organizing committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi said that the proposal to have a common ticket for the Commonwealth Games, Metro and DTC has been accepted. ‘‘Anyone buying a ticket for an event for the Commonwealth Games will be allowed two rides on the same ticket on the Metro or the DTC,’’ said Kalmadi.

The decision comes after months of discussions among the three agencies involved in the proposal the transport department of Delhi government, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and OC. The tussle was over the funding for the project, which none of the agencies was willing to foot. Kalmadi, while announcing that the common ticket would be available from June 1 onwards, added that the project was not being funded by the OC. ‘‘The issue has been resolved by the other two agencies. All I can say is that OC is not funding the project, though we will ensure that the common tickets are available from June 1,’’ he said.

Even as senior DMRC and transport department officials said they are unaware of any decision on the funding of tickets, the fact that spectators to the Games will get free rides has been resolved. It is estimated that DTC will spend about Rs 6 crore to 7 crore to ferry spectators free of cost and will spend about Rs 30 crore more for providing a fleet of 574 dedicated buses for athletes, dignitaries, officials, etc. ‘‘DTC will not be able to bear the additional loss and Delhi government will have to bail the corporation out,’’ said sources. DMRC too plans to accept paper tickets from spectators in exchange for tokens for spectators using the Metro. ‘‘The modalities are still being worked out,’’ said a senior DMRC official.

Special bus routes and timetables have been worked out for the 14-day period of the Games where city buses will facilitate movement of people to the Games venues and places of tourist interest.

Initially, the Delhi Government had suggested that it would charge Rs 100 as its share from the OC for common ticketing system for DTC and Metro. Officials said the main purpose is to promote public transport system during Games. Interestingly, the OC had recommended that DTC and Metro provide subsidized or free services to spectators during the Games, a suggestion which both agencies had refused, citing poor economic logic. Sources added that the OC had also refused to support DTC financially on the issue.

Tussle between Delhi Metro and MCD Made Advertisement Firms Worry

The stand-off between MCD and Delhi Metro over sharing of advertisement revenue has taken a twist. Ahead of tendering for the booking of advertising spaces on two new Metro routes Inderlok to Mundka and Qutub to Gurgaon the association of outdoor advertisers has demanded that they be told about the legal position of the advertisements.

According to Mukesh Gupta, general secretary of the Delhi Outdoor Advertisers’ Association, their clients get notices from the civic body for advertising on DMRC structures, if an advertisement is not approved by a designated MCD official. ‘‘Why should we suffer? We book space through proper tendering and payments,” said Gupta. MCD had recently issued notices to companies whose unauthorized displays were found on display on DMRC structures for payment of charges to the tune of Rs 18.5 crore.

While DMRC maintains that it can use its premises for advertisement purposes, the MCD says otherwise. ‘‘The contention of DMRC is factually incorrect in the sense that land under DMRC possession belongs to MCD,” claimed a senior MCD official. When contacted, a DMRC spokesperson said actions taken are as per law.

The MCD has also issued warnings to all oil companies over unauthorized displays on the premises of petrol pumps and CNG stations.

Have a ticket of CWG, travel free in DTC Buses

If you have a ticket for a Commonwealth Games event, you can enjoy a free ride in DTC buses that day.

The decision to let Games spectators travel free of cost in the DTC fleet was taken in a group of minister (GoM) meeting for the Commonwealth Games led by Union Urban Development Minister S.Jaipal Reddy on Friday evening.

The GoM, however, decid- ed to let the DMRC managing director E.Sreedharan chief to decide whether to extend the same facility on the Delhi Metro network too.

A DMRC spokesperson said he was unaware of the latest development and a decision will be taken as and when the issue will be brought to the DMRC.

Apart from ticketed spectators, the games volunteers and the workforce on duty will also be able to travel free on DTC buses during the 12-day event.

The DTC focal point bus service would also be integrated with the Delhi Metro. Buses would transport passengers to metro stations for venues with Metro connectivity.

This, said officials, is expected to reduce overall traffic on the road during the games.

DTC Top Guns to Monitor Their Services Periodically

For once, the babus are going to get a taste of their own medicine. In a novel initiative, the DTC brass will commute to work and back in their own buses on two designated days every month. The idea is for them to travel in buses to understand first hand the problems faced by regular commuters and initiate corrective action accordingly.

The corporation has made it compulsory for all senior officials to take a DTC bus to work on the second and last Monday of the month. The officials, including DTC chairman and managing director Naresh Kumar, will not use their staff cars on those days. ‘‘We have now got better buses but there are certain operational problems. Maintenance of buses is another issue. When all officials involved in the decision-making process at DTC travel in buses on a regular basis, the quality of service will automatically improve,’’ said a senior DTC official.

The decision is going to impact more than 200 officials who have been given staff cars by the government. Before the Commonwealth Games in October this year, DTC is striving to better its image and services. The corporation is going to get about 3,125 new low-floor buses. Bus shelters are also being given a facelift. But there have been regular complaints from commuters about the reliability and efficiency of buses and staff. Buses don’t follow timetables, run behind schedule and don’t stop at designated bus stops.

A slew of other measures are also being planned to improve service, like creating a dedicated fleet of buses to be run only on school routes. The decision was taken after it was observed that some DTC buses which had been put on school routes tended to withdraw from service earlier than scheduled, leaving their routes midway. At present, about 1,300 DTC buses ferry students of nearly 700 city schools.

DTC has also started imparting driving and behavior training to its drivers on simulators at Automobile Association of Upper India

Due to non availability of low floor buses Govt allowed Semi low-floor buses

At a time when the government is expediting the Blueline phase-out process and ordering removal of all Blueline from south Delhi from next month, Delhites can expect relief on ground too. The government, on Wednesday, took a decision to allow semi-low floor and standard floor buses on city routes. This, in effect, means that the first cluster of the corporatization scheme which was initiated as a replacement of Blueline will get operational before the Commonwealth Games.

Even though the cluster had been awarded to a private operator last year, there was no certainty on when the buses would start plying as the only two manufacturers supplying low floor buses in the country are anyway stretched with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) order for 3,125 low floor buses. The government’s decision now gives the operator the choice of bringing in semi-low floor buses on the new routes, which match the specifications cleared by the Centre for buses being procured under the JNNURM scheme, for Delhi as well.

To ensure comfort and riding quality, the government has put a clause that DTC can only get low floor buses.

‘‘As per the final transportation plan for Delhi, DTC will run 60 percent of buses on all routes. We have taken a decision that the DTC fleet will only have low-floor buses. But the private corporate running buses on the 16 clusters can now bring in semi-low floor buses too,’’ said transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely. ‘

The rest of the parameters like GPS, control rooms, etc will remain the same. The semi-low floor buses cost much lesser too making the running of clusters more lucrative for private players.

Lovely added that the first cluster will now get operational before the Commonwealth Games, which essentially means that south Delhi will have an additional 300-odd buses plying on the roads. The government is in the process of allotting the other 15 clusters too.

Meanwhile, chief minister Shiela Dikshit announced on Wednesday that Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) will take up construction of 250 modern bus shelters on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, like the one adopted by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and of another 800 bus shelters through a tendering process at a total cost of Rs 96 crore.

The government has put in a request with the Union Ministry of Urban Development to sanction at least half the amount from the Delhi Development Fund. The new bus shelters will come up on routes leading to Commonwealth Games venues.

DTC starts running on new route

Yamuna Mudrika flagged off, 40 new low-floor buses in DTC fleet

In a bid to provide better connectivity to residents of east Delhi, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) flagged off a new Yamuna Mudrika route to connect trans-Yamuna areas to the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Kashmere Gate from Friday.

The buses on this route will run via ISBT Kashmere Gate (Nityanand Marg), New Yamuna Bridge, Shastri Park Metro Depot, New Usman Pur, Pushta Road (Yamuna Marginal Bandh Marg), Khajoori Khas, Main Wazirabad Road, Yamuna Vihar, Nand Nagri Depot, Gagan Cinema Crossing Road No.68, Tahir Pur DLF Plaza Dilshad Garden Extn., Seemapuri Depot, Shahdara Border, Surya Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Pusta Road, Ramesh Park, Krishan Kunj, Gandhi Nagar (Pusta), Kailash Nagar Pusta, Bulland Masjid, Old Bridge Road, Dharam Pura, Shastri Park, New Yamuna Bridge and ISBT Kashmere Gate.

Flagging off the service, transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said: ‘‘To start with, 16 low-floor buses are being deployed on the 36 km-long route where services will be available at a frequency of 15 minutes in both (+) and (- ) directions — clockwise and anti-clockwise. The new route provides connectivity to east Delhi, where one-third of Delhi’s population resides. In fact, several areas on the route are such where no buses were available until now.’’

Meanwhile, 40 new low-floor buses, part of the first lot manufactured by Ashok Leyland, has been inducted in DTCs fleet. The total number of DTC buses is now 3,717 buses — 860 low floor-buses (including 85 AC buses) — and another 2,857 old buses, and 83 diesel buses run on interstate routes. ‘‘To promote public transport, the government is going to strengthen the DTC increasing its fleet to 7,000 by October 2010 and the supplies for the order of 3,125 low floor buses has already started. About 300 new buses will be added to Delhi roads every month now,’’ he added.

Government Seeking Private Players for tourist bus services

The Delhi government is looking to rope in a private player to fund its hop-on-hop-off bus services for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

According to Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, bids for the bus service will be announced by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC). “The initiative will be in partnership with Delhi Tourism, but the basic funding will be provided by the private player, who will supply the buses and bear the costs,” Mehta said.

Though the government had originally planned running double-decker buses along the lines of the services provided in London and Paris, Mehta said that with the Games deadline closing in, the government plans to run only ordinary buses for now. “Buses in line with specifications meant for Delhi will have to be planned, so we will begin with ordinary buses and take it from there,” Mehta said.

To be initiated on the lines of tourist bus services in London and Paris, the hop-on-hop-off service has buses running along pre-defined routes that connect the city’s heritage sites, museums and cultural spots. Tourists will have to buy a consolidated ticket and will have the option of boarding a bus at any of the tourist spots along the route and get off at their convenience.

Low Floor DTC Buses Fleet to Hit NOIDA roads soon

After the Metro link between NOIDA and Delhi opened on Thursday, there is some more joy in store for residents of the satellite town. Delhi Transport Corporation has decided to run 35 low-floor buses between Delhi and NOIDA from next week. Sources said the buses have already been procured and will be pressed into service once they are registered with local RTO.

Sources at NOIDA’s DTC depot said that in the first phase, 35 buses will be run daily.

‘‘We expect to take this number to 40 in the next few weeks. We wish to take the total number of low-floor buses operating in NOIDA to 100. Out of these, at least 30 buses will be air-conditioned,’’ said a senior DTC official.

Residents in NOIDA welcomed the DTC move. ‘‘The Metro might be here, but vast sections of NOIDA, including sectors 12, 22, 62, 63 and Nithari — are not covered by it. DTC buses will help people in these areas. With low-floor buses, I now hope to avoid rides on the rickety Bluelines,’’ said Sanjeev Sharma, a PR executive residing in sector 22.

Sanjay Bohidar, a media professional residing in sector 56, said he was expecting more frequent services on dedicated routes. ‘‘The service from NOIDA to Dhaula Kuan and Airport is very erratic.

There are a lot of passengers on these routes, especially during the office hours. I will request the DTC to run more buses on these routes,’’ he said. At present, the DTC has 20 buses at its NOIDA depot. The UPSRTC runs 35 buses on various Delhi routes.

UP road transport department officials said once low-floor buses are introduced in NOIDA, the department might have to revise fares. ‘‘With DMRC and DTC focusing on NOIDA routes, we will loss passengers unless we go for another round of revisions,’’ said a senior UPSRTC official.

DTC Training its drivers to enhance language skills for Commonwealth Games tourists

In a bid to enhance the English language skills of its drivers, for effective communication with the tourists coming for commonwealth games next year, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus drivers are being trained in English to welcome foreign tourists during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

This training is being given as part of New Delhi's initiatives to act as perfect hosts for the event.

Mukesh Kumar said training sessions have boosted his confidence and he was proud to be an Indian brand ambassador.

"One thing is for sure our country comes first in welcoming guests. Indians are great hosts. I also have a part to play to show the world how good hosts we can be. I would be the Indian brand ambassador," said Mukesh Kumar, a bus driver.

Just like Mukesh, over 5000 DTC drivers and conductors are being given lessons and trained in soft skills.

"When they will arrive we'll say 'Welcome to India' and would welcome them. When they will travel in our bus, we would say 'Please take your seat.' And, if they need any help, we'll say, 'may I help you Sir? This way, we will welcome them," said Satya Pal Singh, another bus driver.

Nearly 100,000 tourists are expected to arrive in Delhi next October to witness the two-week long games.

DTC is thus overhauling its bus fleet for the visitors.

"We'll have to think that as drivers and conductors, they are very good in their field. They just have an inferiority complex from which we have to bring them out and need to bring them in to mainstream of the society. So we are trying that they become a bit confident in speaking English language," said Nanditesh Niley, Director, training requirement and education programme, DTC.

Nearly 6,000 new DTC buses will be introduced by 2010 to ease commuting of which many will be low-floor, high capacity and air-conditioned.

From Next Year new Double-decker buses for the city

The commonwealth games, to be held next year has become boon for the national capital, as various departments and pumping funds for infrastructural development, by next year, Delhi can expect to have its own hop-on-hop-off heritage tourist bus service modeled on the lines of the London counterpart. Delhi government has proposed to introduce specially designed double-decker buses, which will be run on tailor-made routes taking tourists not just to monuments but also museums, shopping venues, theatre and even typical Indian weddings for the foreign clientele.

The buses will be luxury coaches with large window panes to enable a clear view of the city from every seat.

To make them attractive, they will be painted in bright colors and the exteriors will be designed by professionals to reflect the character of the tours on offer. Every bus will have a guide on board to keep the visitors updated on the sites as they pass by.

In a joint collaboration between Delhi Tourism and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), the government is eager to introduce these buses before the Commonwealth Games kick off in October. But the service is not just aimed at the foreign tourists expected in Delhi during the Games. The government is also targeting the average Delhiite who can take a hop-onhop-off tour in place of going to a cinema or a restaurant, which officials said will also take away the burden of parking and planning. The routes are being chalked out by Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and Shahjahanabad Development Corporation, and Intach will also provide trained guides and printed literature to be available on board.

The concept of hop-on-hop-off, which is very popular in European countries, has buses running on predefined routes at regular intervals. Tourists can choose a route and board any bus. They will have the option of getting off at a place of their interest on the way and have the choice of taking any of the later buses on the same route. The ticket has a day-long validity. ‘‘The idea came from a meeting on heritage sites and walks. Intach had suggested we should have these kind of buses specifically for tourists so that they can walk around sites and cover a larger number of heritage areas and other places of interest,’’ said chief secretary Rakesh Mehta.

The tourism department has started work on identifying themes for the tours and so far zeroed in on Mughal, Colonial, Independence and Mehrauli area. Said Reena Ray, MD, Delhi Tourism: ‘‘DTC will provide the buses and we will take care of the tourist and culture part. Each tour will be a full day package with its share of monuments, shopping, and places of interest like Dilli Haat and then culminate with a theatre performance in the evening. We have even got suggestions to introduce a typical Indian wedding in the schedule for foreigners but the main focus will be heritage. We are looking at a June-July launch.’’

DTC, meanwhile, is scouting for the perfect double-decker bus for the service. ‘‘All the double-decker buses we have seen run on diesel, but we need a CNG variant for Delhi. There are issues on where the cylinders will be accommodated in the bus design. Also, the model needs to suit our climatic conditions and dust in the city. The bus could have large windows for a good view,’’ said a senior DTC official.

Though the fare structure has not yet been finalized, Ray said that it would not be very expensive as they want to target the aam aadmi(common man) also.

DTC Buses to be Painted Green before Games

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Gives green Signal to paint all DTC buses in green before 2010 CWG.

Fleet of yellow and green Delhi Transport Corporation buses is all set to don a new look. Before the Commonwealth Games in October 2010, DTC's old fleet of 2,000 buses will acquire a fresh coat of "grass green" color.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has approved the color scheme and the buses will be repainted by April 2010.

"We want to change DTC's image before the Commonwealth Games in October next year. Changing its look is a part of it," Delhi transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said.

"DTC is not just about buses. We want to run it... like the metro or the railways."
The yellow and green buses have been synonymous with the city's public transport since the DTC came into existence in 1971. And even the DTC cadre seems to be welcoming the proposed change.

"There is an enthusiasm among workers which has never been seen before," said M.K. Sardana, the depot manager who has worked with DTC for over 35 years. "The idea of changing the color has filled them with fresh energy."

Before the 2010 Commonwealth Games begins, DTC will have a fresh batch of 7,000 new buses to aid its existing fleet of around 2,000 buses. Before 2002, DTC buses were primarily yellow in color with one thick band of green and white running through the lower half of the bus.

Then, came the biggest transformation in DTC's history and diesel run old buses were converted into a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)propelled fleet, making it the world's largest environment-friendly public transport system. DTC added another band of green to denote its shift to an environment-friendly public transport system.

Seven year hence, the DTC has completely changed the color scheme of the bus and reduced yellow color to a thin band of just five centimeters.

With the new low-floor buses in bright green (non-air conditioned) and red (air conditioned) color, the old fleet in grass green color is expected to make it look "more attractive".

"With these attractive buses, public transport is getting a new look figuratively as well as literally," said Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, who headed the DTC during its switch from diesel to CNG.

The green interior of the bus will also be changed to grey to make it look "bright from inside". While the color of the upholstery will remain the same, all buses will boast of new seats.

The front and the rear destination boards will be converted to LED-based alpha-numeric dual display that will be visible even in daylight.

DTC Added 107 new buses to its low-floor fleet

83 To Ply On Three Routes In BRT Corridor

Finally, some good news regarding low floor buses. On Sunday, 107 low-floor buses — maximum in a single lot so far — were added to DTC fleet, increasing the number of total DTC buses plying on city roads to 6,500.

The new buses, said sources, would be mostly pressed into service in the BRT corridor, bringing relief to thousands of commuters who use these routes. Commuters in other parts of the city will have to wait till March next year to get better frequency of low-floor buses. The government hopes to increase the number of this fleet to 3,125 by end of March.

Commissioning the new buses, chief minister Sheila Dikshit said many more such vehicles are needed. ‘‘London has 10,000 buses and for 1.6 crore population, we need to have more of such buses. We saw this dream 3-4 years ago, but there were design related issues. We rectified them and brought these buses,’’ she said.

The CM claimed a big fleet of modern buses was a sign of ‘‘Delhi marching ahead’’ but stressed ‘‘the people should have a sense of responsibility towards these vehicles and maintain them properly’’. ‘‘Treat DTC buses as you treat your own car. For visitors, local buses are the first impression of the city. Keep them clean. For us, the priority is to shift twowheeler and car users to buses,’’ Dikshit said.

Transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely termed increase in the fleet of DTC buses a ‘‘new revolution in city’s transport system’’. ‘‘There is no alternate to DTC as far as public transport in Delhi is concerned. This would also save Delhiites from Blueline buses,’’ Lovely added.

Sources in the DTC said 83 buses of the new fleet would ply on three routes in the BRT corridor. Currently, low-floor buses plying on route No 419, 423 and 522 make around 731 trips per day. With new buses, the number would increase to 1036 trips per day.

DTC officials said that earlier the corporation was diverting buses from three depots — Sukhdev Vihar, Mayapuri and Subhash Palace — to serve commuters on the BRT corridor. But now a new depot has been started at Ambedkar Nagar and it would mean saving time and fuel. It would also free up a few buses that, said sources, would be diverted to other routes in the capital.

With these 107 buses, the number of AC buses on Delhi roads has increased to 55 and non-AC buses to 708. DTC managing director Naresh Kumar said the power of ACs in the new buses has been increased to bring maximum comfort to passengers. Dikshit also asked the transport department to explore the possibility of special tourist buses and doubledecker buses on select routes.


Road Revolution

Speed limit (40kmph) through engine management software
Gas leakage detection system
Tubeless tyres
Display of approaching bus stops with integrated voice announcement system compatible with GPS

Source : http://epaper.timesofindia.com

New DTC Buses to be equipped with laptop and Mobile Chargers and Better Climate Control systems

On Sunday, about 70 more new lowfloor buses will be inducted into the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet. And after this, the corporation will get nearly 200 buses every month till March next year by when about 3,100 new buses would be added to Delhi roads.

The new buses are a part of DTC’s second order, of which some are being manufactured at a Ashok Leyland plant at Alwar. The new models promise a smoother ride as they have added features for passenger comfort like more windows and shafts for ventilation, mobile and laptop charging points, climate control and heating in winters in the AC fleet and more seats.

As the first lot of buses is inducted into the fleet, the apprehension on whether the new buses will be delivered at all before the Games seems to be fading away. The first lot primarily has buses manufactured by Tata Motors, which is a major chunk of the DTC order. But the other manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, is also ready with their supplies.

‘‘Now, one can expect about 200 new buses to come every month. The orders will be completed by March 2010 when the Bharat Stage IV emission norms come into effect. Any delivery after that will have to be modified according to the new standards, which is an added cost for the manufacturer,’’ said a senior official.

A visit to the bus manufacturing facility of Ashok Leyland in Alwar gives an insight into how fast the orders are progressing. The state-ofthe-art plant, which has several buses on the assembly line, is now going to roll out 10 low-floor buses everyday till the order is complete.

This order for 875 buses, including 350 airconditioned ones, were to be supplied to DTC by March this year. But the first lot of 50 buses is ready for rollout from the plant now.

‘‘We have sent the first ready bus to DTC, which has been approved. The formalities for registration and other things are being worked out soon after which the remaining buses will also be delivered,’’ said Rajeev Seharia, executive director (Marketing), Ashok Leyland.

He added that the reason for the delay was that after the tender, DTC made a lot of changes to the bus specifications and manner of execution. ‘‘The entire development was partnered with DTC and there was a learning curve on both sides. As for a penalty for late supply, the matter will be taken up with DTC at the right time as we are looking at a long association with them now,’’ he added. But now that the first lot is ready, the company is confident of delivering before March 2010. Each of AC buses will cost Rs 59.3 lakh and the non-AC buses Rs 49.9 lakh.

As per the new contract, the buses will be maintained by the companies too and DTC has asked for an assurance of a breakdown rate of maximum 5% at any time. The new buses will have all the features of the existing fleet. The corporation has tried to address failings in the existing 625 buses, where passengers have complained of lack of ventilation and also that the AC is not that effective during peak summer. In the new lot, the windows are larger and even the upper portion opens. Also, extra roof hatchets have been provided on the roof which can be opened for better air circulation.

The AC buses have climate control which will ensure a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius in the bus even when it is very hot. These buses will also have heaters in winters. Passengers can even charge their laptops and cellphones inside the buses. The buses also have stop request buzzers. For added safety, the front windscreen is bigger to ensure better visibility and reflective tapes on the sides of the buses to make them visible even at night.


Ready for Rollout

1. Total number of buses being procured by Delhi Transport Corporation 3,125
2. Ashok Leyland will supply 875 buses & Tata Motors 2,250
3. Till March 2009, Delhi Transport Corporation will get around 200 buses every month

How the new bus is different

1. No of seats increased to 35 Better ventilation through bigger windows and roof hatches
2. Climate control in AC buses to keep temperature of 25°C Laptop and mobile phone charging points
3. Breakdown rate of just 5% Display panels on sides of bus indicating final destination
4. Wider windscreen

Bloodlines (Bluelines) to stay on Delhi Roads

The efforts of Delhi government to phase out the Bluelines (often called ad bloodlines) has got a serious kickback as now it is concentrating more on adequate supply of buses before commonwealth games

Delhi’s dream of getting rid of "killer" Bluelines has been put on the backburner. The state government has put the corporatization plan "on hold for now" to ensure that about 3,100 buses ordered by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) arrive before the Commonwealth Games 2010.

Sources said the process of appointing an operator for the first cluster has been put on hold, but the scheme will take off again after a sizeable part of buses ordered by DTC arrives.

The two bus manufacturers in the country, Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland are utilizing their entire capacity to deliver DTC’s order for about 3,125 low-floor buses and another 1,100 semi-low-floor buses in time for the Commonwealth Games. The deadline for making the delivery of these orders is March 2010, but the first lot of buses is yet to arrive from any of the two companies. However, Tata Motors is expected to deliver about 25 buses by this month-end.

Delhi government is also planning to place order for more buses with the funds from urban development ministry under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme to promote public transport. In such a scenario, if the corporates, to whom each of the 17 clusters, which the city is divided into, will be awarded the corporatization scheme, also start placing orders for buses, it is feared that the delivery of the DTC orders will get affected.

The government is of the opinion that if the corporates also approach the manufacturers with orders for more buses, it will add to the strain. ‘‘Corporates may be given faster delivery of buses as they can disburse funds more quickly than the government, which has to follow certain process for making payments,’’ sources said.

The option of importing buses from other countries was also looked into, but the rates being quoted were much higher than those offered by the Indian manufacturers.

Transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely confirmed that the first cluster has not been awarded yet. "The corporatization scheme has been put on hold for now. Once the DTC bus order starts rolling, the first cluster will be awarded to the identified bidder," Lovely told in an interview with a leading English daily.

Sources said the phase-out of Bluelines will continue as per schedule, and by the end of the year another 700 buses will be taken off the roads. If the delivery of new DTC buses is delayed, the Bluelines phase-out process may be slowed down. The transport department has also stopped issuing new permits for Blueline buses, and even extensions of permits are temporary.

With the corporatization process having been delayed now, it seems unlikely that Delhi will meet the requirement of 11,000 buses on capital roads by 2010, as prescribed by the Supreme Court.

At present, there are about 5,800 buses, including 2,700 Bluelines and 3,100 DTC buses, operating on Delhi roads. Over 1,000 Bluelines have been phased out this year. But the government says the gap is being made up by increasing the efficiency of DTC buses, which are now making 20,400 trips as against 16,000 trips earlier.

Officials, however, said the city will not face shortage of buses before the Games. "The 11,000 mark for buses may not be reached by 2010, but there will be over 6,000 DTC buses and another 2,000-odd Bluelines plying in the city till next year. The number of trips made by DTC buses are being increased and people will not feel inconvenienced," sources said.

So far, DTC has just got the first order of 625 low floor buses.

More Buses and 15 new Bus depots to come up in Delhi before 2010 CWG

Delhi Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely Thursday said that 15 new Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus depots would come up before 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG).

CCTV cameras would also be installed in all DTC bus depots to ensure security during the 2010 CWG," he said after a review meeting regarding DTC's preparation for the 2010 Games.

"With 15 new depots, the total number of DTC depots would reach 50 with multi level parking capacity of 6,000 buses. Construction works in seven new depots are going on and these depots would be functional by November 2009," Lovely added.

The minister said that DTC would be adding 2,500 low floor CNG buses to its existing fleet by March 2010 and the delivery of new buses will start next month with 150 buses joining the DTC fleet.

Of these 2,500, 1,000 are low floor air-conditioned buses while 1,500 will be normal low floor CNG buses. Besides this, 625 new low floor buses would be added in the DTC fleet.

DTC has started the process of purchasing 1,000 new semi-low floor buses, he said, adding they would have a state-of-art passenger information system and global positioning system for the convenience of commuters. As many as 574 low floor buses would be in the Commonwealth Games Village for the sports persons, Lovely added.

"All buses will be equipped with automatic vehicle ticketing system and with new logo of Commonwealth Games. Endeavor would be made to give a new look to the old buses of DTC," Lovely said.

The minister said an Internal Training Module for DTC drivers has already been formulated with the co-operation of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the central government's tourism ministry, so that these drivers may adopt better manners and behavior.