3 Years of AAP: Delhi is Unlikely to Get 10,000 Buses by Dec 2018

Despite claims of procuring 2,000 buses, experts say that the Delhi govt will miss the target of 10,000 by 2018.

To an outsider Delhi might seem like a well-connected city with a metro that covers 160 stations, roads that cater to one crore registered vehicles, including 31 lakh cars and 5,500 DTC buses. However, a 2012 study by the Urban Development Ministry had found that:

1. Availability of public transport (buses and Metro) per 1,000 people is 0.504 (or half a bus)
2. Waiting time for 517 DTC bus routes is 70 minutes.

Public transport is the lifeline for a city like Delhi with a population of 1.67 crore (as per the Census 2011) and the AAP government seems to have faltered on several fronts as far as the means of conveyance is concerned.

Last-Mile Connectivity is Missing

From 2015 to 2017, there appears to be a substantial decrease in the allocation of Budget for buses, be it low floor or those belonging to the cluster scheme (that includes plying of 1,650 buses belonging to private companies).

The Delhi government’s planned number of new buses to be introduced in Delhi has been shrinking from a total of 2,380 semi floor and cluster scheme buses in 2015-16, to merely 736 buses under the cluster scheme in 2017-18.

This trend is disturbing since Delhi, despite being the capital city, can’t boast of last-mile connectivity, with experts claiming that there are many ‘transit deserts’ (referring to areas with few options for travel) in the city’s outskirts, which are yet to be connected by public transport.

According to Srinivas Kodali, a researcher working on ‘Intelligent Transportation Systems and Cities,’ Delhi still needs more buses:

Delhi’s public transport system, even though quite extensive, doesn’t cover every corner of the city forcing people to choose private vehicles. While autos and cabs are addressing the last-mile connectivity, to reduce pollution, app-based buses could further help people in covering the last mile with minimal carbon footprints.

Srinivas Kodali, Researcher working on urban transport

Will the AAP Govt be Able to Procure 10,000 buses by Dec 2018?

In November 2017, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to formulate a plan and ensure that as many as 10,000 buses are procured by the end of 2018. The Court’s order came after a report by the EPCA (Environment Pollution Control Authority) had raised concerns in April last year about the quality of air in Delhi. It was suggested that focus should shift on boosting public transport so that the reliance on private cars is reduced.

Talking about the efforts of the Delhi government on this front, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh told The Quint:

Problems in procurement of buses in recent years had nothing to do with budgetary allocations. Problem was with clauses in tenders related to maintenance. All hurdles have been removed by the DTC and the process to procure 2,000 buses is in an advanced stage.

Ashutosh, AAP Spokesperson

Sources in the Delhi Transport Corporation, however, counter such notion, attributing the slow pace of procurement to stringent bidding procedure, they are of the view that “the AAP government has not procured any bus till date.”

A report by the Centre for Science and Environment (dated 23 November 2017) suggests that under the cluster scheme, in partnership with private players, a total of 203 buses were procured between 2015 to 2016. The question is if that number is sufficient for a city like Delhi.

Experts like Srinivas Kodali are skeptical about the AAP government achieving the target of 10,000 buses:

It would not be possible to get the fleet strength to 10,000 buses by end of 2018, as Delhi uses CNG buses which are manufactured post awarding of tender and it might be around 2019 when the fleet strength meets the requirement.

Srinivas Kodali, Researcher working on urban transport

Lessons to be Learned From Bengaluru

A PTI (Press Trust of India) report, dated 17 December 2017, suggests that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) suffers a monthly loss of about Rs 9 crore. Inability of the buses to complete the scheduled 38,000 trips per day due to traffic jams was cited as the reason behind low operational efficiency.

It essentially means that the DTC not only needs more buses, but it should plan routes in such a way that helps in maximising trips and covers as many areas as possible with an effective outreach.

Speaking to The Quint, former Managing Director of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Upendra Tripathy shared the success mantra that had transformed the BMTC into a profit-making venture during his stint between 2003 to 2008.

Indian cities have always faced the problem of congestion. You’re losing out on trips due to slow mobility. We had detailed conversations with the drivers and conductors to rationalise trips and avoid overlapping of routes.

Upendra Tripathy, former Managing Director, BMTC

Elaborating on key changes introduced at the policy level, Upendra Tripathy said:

We realised that people had problem in giving change (coins) while buying tickets so we brought in a system of Daily Pass at Rs 20 per day and suddenly we saw a surge in the number of people who were opting for buses.

According to Tripathy, it’s the equation between various stakeholders – the state, Centre and the officials of the municipal transport corporations which will help in increasing the EPKM (Earning per km of a bus operation) in the long-run.

Metro Fare Hike Irks Aam Aadmi

DU Students protesting the rise in Delhi Metro fare with the looming threat of Water Cannon and Rapid Action Force. #DemocracyInAction #Delhi #DelhiMetro pic.twitter.com/DQHluarXVV

— Varun Santhosh (@santvarun) February 8, 2018

With a group of students protesting the Delhi Metro fare hike on 8 February, all doesn’t seem to be well with the ‘lifeline’ of the city. Despite Kejriwal requesting the Centre to reconsider the decision taken by the Fare Fixation Committee, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri had said in October last year that doing so would be “legally untenable”.

Barring the legal issues, the double Metro fare revision that took place in 2017 have not gone down well with commuters in Delhi. While this adds to the burden of buses, experts feel the AAP government has not been able implement policies that can maximise revenue.

Road network in Delhi is 22 percent which is the best in the country. Route rationalisation is a must so that metro and buses don’t compete with each other. Modal split (percentage of travellers using a particular type of transport) in Delhi has gone down from 60 percent to 44 percent.

Dr PK Sarkar, Director, Transportation, Asian Institute of Transport and Development

Locking Horns with the Centre

According to Dr PK Sarkar, Delhi should ideally have a central body, a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) on the lines of Singapore, that can bring DTC and DMRC on a common platform and ensure greater coordination between various transport undertakings.

Unmindful of the need of the hour, Delhi government continues to blame the Centre for posing hurdles. Last week, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lashed out at the Centre for not approving the state government’s request for electric buses.

I had personally requested a special package for 2,000 electric buses for Delhi, which could have played a major role in combating air pollution. Unfortunately, the central government does not care for Delhi.

Manish Sisodia as quoted by the Indian Express

While the AAP government may be way behind in achieving the target of 10,000 buses, Kejriwal-led government began the process of granting permits to 10,000 autorickshaws in November 2017, as was promised in the Budget last year. With autorickshaw drivers forming a substantial vote bank for the party, perhaps it’s not hard to understand why the government is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to appeasement even as public transport across the capital is in dire state.

As Delhi gasps for breath and environmentalists continue to raise the alarm, the AAP government has so far failed to present a roadmap for course correction.