Delhi govt cancels leaves of DTC staff during odd-even rule

Transport Minister Gopal Rai today cancelled leaves of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) employees, including drivers and conductors, during the 15-day trial period of odd-even formula starting January 1.
The government has also cancelled the leaves of employees working with cluster buses, operated by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS).
The AAP government has extended the registration dates for issuing "special permits" for private buses to be run during the implementation of this scheme from January 1 to January 15.
"In order to provide better public transport facility to Delhiites, government has cancelled leaves of all staff of DTC and Cluster so that there will not be no disruption in bus service during the implementation of odd-even formula," Rai said here.

The government also plans to run special buses for office-goers, who are residing in a particular area like government officers' flats and others, between their residential places and offices.
"Education Department has also been asked to engage school buses for running them on the capital's roads as passenger buses from January 1 to 15. For this, a three-member committee has been constituted," Rai also said.

The transport minister said that the government will hire 4,000 retired conductors for deploying them at 6,000 additional buses to be plied during the implementation of odd-even scheme.
Besides, government will recruit 5,000 youths as Civil Defence personnel, who will be deployed in buses. The minister said that by May next year, fare in all DTC buses will be charged from e-ticketing machines.

Yesterday, around 100 private buses were given 'special permits' for plying during the 15-day trial period of odd-even vehicles numbers scheme.
However, the Delhi government aims at running 6,000 additional buses, including 2,000 school buses, under 'DTC Paryavaran Bus Sewa,' bearing route numbers similar to the operational buses in the city.