Odd! AAP failed to act on bus shortage

While the AAP government has called off its controversial Odd-Even scheme for now after stinging criticism from the National Green Tribunal, DNA has learnt that officials thought of hiring buses on the eve of the rolling out of the rationing of private vehicles.

The government floated a tender to hire private mini and medium-sized buses only on November 10, three days before the scheme was to be implemented in Delhi in the name of curbing spiralling air pollution.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) sought proposals by November 12 for standard CNG buses (40 seats) and midibuses (30 seats) at the rate of Rs 41/km and Rs 31/km, respectively.

Application forms for the same were available between 9 am and 6 pm on November 12. They were to be filled and submitted to the DTC on the same day by 8 pm.

The Delhi government's transport department headed by Minister Kailash Gahlot had asked the DTC to procure 500 private buses to implement the Odd-Even scheme proposed (and now scrapped) during November 13-17. Gahlot had discussed the implementation of the scheme with officials of the transport department at a meeting on October 23.

After the tribunal raised questions over the exemptions to two-wheelers and female drivers, the scheme was called-off on Saturday.

"We had asked the department to invite a tender to engage private contractors during Odd-Even. Buses were under procurement," said a senior official.

According to the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), the government needs at least 2,000 additional buses.

According to a recent survey, Delhi needs at least 11,000 buses plying on a daily basis. However, the DTC at present has a fleet of around 5,600, of which only 4,200 are plying, as the remaining have turned defunct.

The AAP government in 2015 had promised to add 10,000 buses to the DTC fleet, besides 736 cluster buses. However, while no new DTC buses have been procured, only 215 cluster buses have come. The Odd-Even scheme was first implemented by the AAP government twice in 2016 – during January 1-15 and again during April 15-30.