Over 550 cluster buses taken off roads without replacement plan
'From Seemapuri depot, our 68 buses are permitted to operate till 2026, while 68 more are valid till 2027,' said Raju from Antony Road Transport Solutions, which operates a swathe of cluster buses. The decision has raised concerns about disruption in the daily commute for thousands of passengers who relied on these buses.
These orange cluster buses, operated under the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), had been plying several key routes in the city for over a decade. According to officials, the permits for these buses expired on July 15 and have not been renewed.
The affected fleet includes 533 buses stationed at the depots of Seemapuri, Rajghat, and Najafgarh. These vehicles covered nearly 40 routes across Delhi, connecting Kashmere Gate ISBT, Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Nehru Place, Kapashera, and parts of Central, South, and East Delhi. With their removal, the total number of DIMTS-operated buses has dropped from 3,200 to around 2,700. The move has drawn criticism from bus operators, who allege that the government's decision is aimed at clearing the path for a major vendor set to supply a large fleet of electric buses to DTC, potentially creating a monopoly.
While transport officials have refused to comment on vendor influence, they have also not confirmed any timeline for the induction of replacement buses.
'Contracts of these buses could have been extended. They anyway run on CNG and are non-polluting vehicles. Besides, there is no immediate plan to induct EV buses as replacements. This will hugely affect commuters and the public transport system,' said Sanjay Samrat, President, Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters and Tour Operators Association.
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