the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has exposed the Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) failure to expand its bus fleet over a decade, despite the availability of funds. According to the CAG, the DTC inducted just two buses between financial years 2011-12 and 2021-22, a period when the city’s transportation needs were rapidly growing, and commuter dependence on public transport was at an all-time high.The audit, which focused on DTC’s functioning between 2015 and 2022, highlights a worrying trend of stagnation in bus procurement. Although Rs 236.82 crore was earmarked for purchasing new buses in 2015, and Rs 233.06 crore was available for the same purpose.
in 2022, the corporation failed to utilise these funds effectively. Apart from two electric buses introduced in March 2022, DTC did not add any buses to its fleet for nearly a decade. This inaction led to a shrinking bus fleet, which decreased from 4,344 buses in 2015-16 to 3,937 buses in 2022-23.The CAG report also noted the discrepancy between the Delhi government’s ambitious plans for public transport and the corporation’s lacklustre performance. In 2007, the Delhi High Court had ordered that the city’s bus fleet be expanded to 11,000 buses by 2009. However, as of March 2022, the combined fleet of DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) was only 7,001 buses—far below the target. The CAG has urged the DTC to accelerate the procurement of new, roadworthy buses to meet the city’s growing transportation demands.The failure to grow the fleet has been attributed to a mix of poor planning, financial mismanagement, and delays in fare hikes, which have caused the corporation to accumulate massive financial liabilities.
From 2016 to 2022, DTC’s liabilities surged from Rs 28,263 crore to Rs 65,274 crore. These financial strains have further hindered the corporation’s ability to modernise its services and expand its bus fleet.Despite the Delhi government’s initiatives to modernise the fleet with electric buses—300 e-buses were added between 2021 and 2023—the overall procurement rate remains dismal. DTC’s slow response to expanding its fleet, coupled with its mounting financial troubles, has left Delhi commuters facing the brunt of inadequate public transport options.As the city’s population grows, the urgency to expand and modernise the fleet becomes even more critical. The CAG’s findings shed light on the need for a more efficient, forward-thinking approach to public transport planning in Delhi, particularly if the city hopes to meet its environmental and accessibility goals. The continued neglect of public transport expansion could lead to even more congestion, pollution, and delays for the city’s residents.
