Firefight: DTC committee report due in a week, likely to suggest slew of corrective actions | Delhi News
New Delhi: A panel of experts set up by the Delhi government last month to examine the upkeep of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses following fires is expected to deliver its report in about a week. The six-member committee is also expected to recommend corrective measures to reduce the number of such incidents.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had set up the panel of experts on April 21, with four fires in DTC buses recorded in the past four months. At the time, Gahlot tweeted that the safety of every Delhiite was the first priority of the Aam Aadmi Party government and in light of the fires in the DTC buses, the committee of technical experts and officers was formed to identify the root cause of incidents and suggest corrective measures.
While the committee was due to submit an interim report in 15 days and a final report in 30 days, sources said thorough checks of the buses were carried out to find the causes of the fires, which took time. According to sources, the report and recommendations are being finalized and will be delivered within a week or 10 days maximum.
“Extensive meetings were held with all stakeholders and extensive inspections were also carried out. The report will be submitted soon,” Gahlot told TOI.
The Delhi government has also made it compulsory for all buses in the DTC fleet and those operating under the Cluster Scheme to be brought to the Department of Transport’s Automated Vehicle Testing Center at Jhuljhuli in South West Delhi. , for certificates of aptitude. Currently, most public transport buses are usually checked at the bus depots themselves.
When asked if this had been done to limit fires on buses, Gahlot said the health check of public transport buses had been going on in Jhuljhuli for some time and had no connection to the fires in the buses.
Chaired by the Special Commissioner (Operations) of the Department of Transport, the six-member committee includes two external technical experts, representatives from DTC and the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), which operates the Cluster Scheme, and a representative from the bus manufacturer.
An official said the fires were usually seen in the summer, as the temperature outside also affected the operation of buses. Sources said most buses in the DTC fleet were between 10 and 12 years old and their performance could not be compared to new buses.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had set up the panel of experts on April 21, with four fires in DTC buses recorded in the past four months. At the time, Gahlot tweeted that the safety of every Delhiite was the first priority of the Aam Aadmi Party government and in light of the fires in the DTC buses, the committee of technical experts and officers was formed to identify the root cause of incidents and suggest corrective measures.
While the committee was due to submit an interim report in 15 days and a final report in 30 days, sources said thorough checks of the buses were carried out to find the causes of the fires, which took time. According to sources, the report and recommendations are being finalized and will be delivered within a week or 10 days maximum.
“Extensive meetings were held with all stakeholders and extensive inspections were also carried out. The report will be submitted soon,” Gahlot told TOI.
The Delhi government has also made it compulsory for all buses in the DTC fleet and those operating under the Cluster Scheme to be brought to the Department of Transport’s Automated Vehicle Testing Center at Jhuljhuli in South West Delhi. , for certificates of aptitude. Currently, most public transport buses are usually checked at the bus depots themselves.
When asked if this had been done to limit fires on buses, Gahlot said the health check of public transport buses had been going on in Jhuljhuli for some time and had no connection to the fires in the buses.
Chaired by the Special Commissioner (Operations) of the Department of Transport, the six-member committee includes two external technical experts, representatives from DTC and the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), which operates the Cluster Scheme, and a representative from the bus manufacturer.
An official said the fires were usually seen in the summer, as the temperature outside also affected the operation of buses. Sources said most buses in the DTC fleet were between 10 and 12 years old and their performance could not be compared to new buses.