NEW DELHI: A week of relentless rain and severe waterlogging brought the city’s public transport network to the brink, with over 700 buses breaking down and thousands of commuters faced hardships. According to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), more than 700 breakdowns were reported in DTC and cluster scheme buses over the past seven days, averaging more than 100 failures every day.
“The torrential downpours not only submerged major roads but also affected colonies as far as Yamuna floodplains, leading to potholes and damaged surfaces in both urban and rural areas. The constant exposure to water has wreaked havoc on the buses’ engines, wiring, and electronic systems, forcing many to be taken off the roads,” a DTC official said.
While the weather cleared on Monday offering some relief, breakdowns continued. About 55 buses reported out of service that day alone. Transport officials said maintenance drives would be stepped up to address the growing problem, but commuters are still struggling with delays and diversions as services remain erratic.
The national capital’s bus fleet has long been plagued with operational issues. The latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on public transport revealed that between 2014 and 2021 there were 3.57 lakh bus breakdowns in the city. That amounts to an average of 139 breakdowns every day. Alarmingly, 70 percent of the incidents, around 2.51 lakh cases, took over 30 minutes to tow the affected buses away.
In addition to the passengers’ woes, the DTC’s fleet is facing a worsening crisis, with more than 2,400 buses being pulled off the roads over the past 18 months and no adequate replacements in sight.
The Delhi government, which earlier withdrew over 550 buses last month, is preparing to phase out another 1,700 by March. Officials said the majority of the CNG buses have expired and are being operated on special permissions which will be over in coming months.
In a bid to address the crisis, Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar held a meeting with DTC regional managers on Monday. He instructed that no shortage of buses should be allowed during peak hours or at any time of the day.
“With this initiative of our government, DTC buses will be available to passengers on the roads of the capital from peak hours to the whole day,” the minister said.