NEW DELHI: Nearly two months after the Delhi government announced the restructuring of bus routes across the city, the project is yet to take off due to delays in the release of funds.
Officials said the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has sought financial support to move the scheme forward, but the proposal remains in limbo as the allocation has not been cleared.
“The blueprint for the restructuring has been prepared, but DTC cannot begin implementation until payments are routed through the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC),” said an official. DTIDC serves as a funding arm of the DTC.
The project would be executed in partnership with the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), which manages the city’s cluster bus fleet. According to officials, the plan requires more than Rs 3 crore to conduct a city-wide survey and determine new routes.
The exercise is to be carried out by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. DTC has already decided to commission the study, but progress hinges on the release of the funds.
The move to redraw bus routes was prompted by persistent complaints over the inefficiency of the capital’s bus network. On several routes, buses remain overcrowded with commuters waiting for hours, while on others, vehicles run nearly empty.
The issue is compounded by the huge chunk of the fleet being decommissioned without any concrete replacements. About 1,700 CNG buses are expected to be phased out by March 2026, as their operational permission lapses. “The twin problems are that the overall fleet size is inadequate, and the existing buses are not deployed rationally,” another senior official said.
A recent study by the transport department showed that 37 per cent of public transport passengers depend on buses, with an average travel length of 11.2 km. Transit hubs such as Anand Vihar ISBT, Kashmiri Gate, Connaught Place, New Delhi Railway Station and Badarpur are among the most congested ones. The study noted that each bus carries an average of 36 passengers, with central Delhi recording the highest ridership.