: Thousands of commuters in the Capital were hit hard by the strike called by the employees of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) here on Monday to protest the killing of a driver by a motorcyclist in an incident of road rage. Most of the DTC buses went off the road as a result of the strike call.
A heavy rush was witnessed, especially during the office hours, in Delhi Metro and for auto-rickshaws across the city as a large number of passengers were stranded at bus depots and bus stops.
The DTC drivers and conductors gathered at 45 depots and raised slogans demanding relief for the family of the deceased driver.
DTC driver Ashok Kumar, 42, was allegedly beaten to death in broad daylight by a youth at Mundka in West Delhi when his bus grazed the youth’s motorcycle.
The driver’s family has joined the protest and put the cremation on hold demanding Rs.1 crore as financial relief from the government as well as a permanent job for a family member.
The DTC employees also demanded security for the staff while pointing out that cases of attacks on drivers and conductors were on the rise. The DTC Employees’ Union has backed the demand of Ashok Kumar’s family for financial relief.
DTC spokesperson R.S. Minhas said as many as 704 buses were put on road “against all odds” with the assistance of officers and workers not involved in the strike. While the number of buses to be run was to be increased in the evening shift, the DTC sought help from the Delhi Police and other authorities to put maximum number of buses on road.
Dr. Minhas said the DTC had deputed all regional mangers, depot mangers and other officers to make arrangements to tackle the situation arising out of the strike. T
he DTC has a fleet of 4,705 buses, including 1,275 air-conditioned and 2,506 non air-conditioned low floor buses.
