Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday directed the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to suspend 20 drivers after they were apparently found missing from duty during a surprise check at Central Delhi’s Rajghat bus depot.
The Delhi Government said in a statement that during the inspection the Minister found that details of 57 DTC buses were not available online. Further, records and duty registers revealed that 20 regular drivers whose duties were booked for the day had not reported for duty.
“The drivers had not given any intimation or reason to the authorities concerned for their unauthorised absence from duty, and thereby were found to have caused inconvenience to the public by denying them the right to travel in public transport,” said a senior Government official. The Rajghat depot has a fleet of 170 buses but due to several reasons, including unauthorised absence of drivers, the number of buses leaving the depot in the evening shift is frequently less than this number, the official added.
The Minister observed that only 100 buses had left the depot and 57 buses were found to be stationed inside as some drivers were absent.
At the conclusion of the said inspection, Mr. Rai warned that strict action will be taken against the drivers for their unauthorised absence from duty and added that the government is committed to providing uninterrupted public transport services to the people. “We will not tolerate any negligence on this issue; more such steps are likely to be taken by the State government to streamline public bus services in Delhi,” Mr. Rai said.
According to Mr. Rai, while the DTC had a fleet of 4705 buses, on an average, 600 to 900 buses remained off roads particularly in the evening hours due to non-availability of operational staff and specifically drivers.
