Latest news with #DelhiTransportCorporation
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
AI-powered digital marketing: Cash-strapped DTC set to chalk out plan to minimise losses
Digital marketing tools, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), have been helping businesses — both startups and MNCs — scale up revenues. Now, even the Transport Department is chalking out a plan to use AI for turning cash-strapped Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) profitable. Maximising revenue, increasing visibility, engaging a larger audience, improving operations, and enhancing socio-economic impact — these are some of the key goals that will be part of the strategy, according to officials. 'In the last few years, it has been observed that DTC has been plunging into losses and the liabilities have also increased. For revenue generation, DTC is now taking several steps, especially by leasing out its available space in depots and buses for advertisement,' a senior official explained. The DTC will implement the initiative, said officials, through an agency, for which it has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from reputed organisations. The key objective of this project is to foster a transformative impact through innovative AI, and digital marketing strategies. 'Tenders will be processed in a month. After that, work will be awarded to the selected agency that posses expertise in digital marketing techniques, including but not limited to search engine optimisation (SEO), pay per click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, LLM marketing and analytics…,' said the official. Under this project, officials also said that they aim to implement digital solutions for revenue boost through digital ticketing, digital Ads, and brand collaborations for DTC. Plans are also being drawn up to implement a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to improve visibility, and brand presence aligned with the target audience. 'To increase revenue, we have to increase DTC's presence through multiple marketing campaigns, ads across various online platforms, including OTT, and promotion of DTC services across digital e-commerce platforms… These initiatives will help boost community engagement and generate revenue,' said the official. A separate creative team will be engaged to run these brand campaigns and performances. To scale up offline advertising, a total of 55,000 square feet of space across depots and terminals has been identified for advertisement, say officials. In March, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a report by the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General), which underlined that DTC's liabilities rose by Rs 37,000 crore between 2015-16 and 2021-2022. (see box). The transport corporation is presently operating 39 depots round-the-clock in Delhi and one in Noida with 3,266 buses (1,895 electric and 1,371 CNG) in the fleet. Depots are further divided into four regions — North, East, West and South. In addition, DTC has four corporate offices and 39 pass sections across Delhi.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
DTC to allow advertisement space at 16 bus terminals
In a push to increase its 'non-fare revenue', the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will auction advertisement rights at 16 major bus terminals across the Capital. With high footfall and prominent road visibility, these sites will be monetised through wall wraps and digital screens. According to a tender floated by DTC, the advertising rights will be granted for a five-year term, with the option for annual extensions of up to five more years. Bidders can apply for wall wrap advertisements, digital screens, or both, and the highest bidder will be awarded the contract for each terminal. 'Apart from revenue generation, this creates avenues for public messaging, civic campaigns, and brand visibility at some of the city's busiest locations,' said Delhi transport minister Pankaj Singh. 'We are trying to recover DTC from years of losses and turn it into a profit-making venture that can serve commuters better.' Singh added that DTC is exploring several avenues to recover past losses and boost its non-fare revenue. The monthly reserve license fee for digital screens ranges from ₹1.22 lakh to ₹2.24 lakh, while fees for wall wraps start at ₹28,834 at Ambedkar Stadium Terminal and go up to ₹3.9 lakh at Nehru Place Terminal. Screen sizes will range from 3 to 18 square metres and must receive structural certification before installation. Bidders will be required to comply with the Outdoor Advertisement Policy (OAP) 2017 and share 50% of the revenue with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). This initiative is part of a broader strategy by DTC to diversify revenue sources, as reported by HT on April 10. Earlier this year, the corporation announced plans to generate ₹18 crore through advertisements on buses and bus shelters. Other proposals include monetising unipoles (single-pole advertising boards), bus body wraps, wall wraps, and digital screens. DTC is also considering leasing commercial space at depots, while the transport department plans to redevelop the Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBTs) at Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan, and Anand Vihar. A senior DTC official said the current focus is on fixed infrastructure, such as terminal boundary walls and enclosed spaces, which remain underutilised. Among the terminals listed in the tender are some of Delhi's busiest, including Nehru Place, Hauz Khas, Punjabi Bagh, Shahdara, and Uttam Nagar. Others include Mehrauli, Mangla Puri, Sultanpuri, Rohini Sector 22, Mangolpuri, Jal Vihar, Bindapur, Karawal Nagar, Ambedkar Stadium, Narela A-9, and Narela Dhiran Jhor. The last date for bid submission is June 20. A pre-bid meeting will be held on June 9, with clarifications due by June 12. The initiative comes against the backdrop of a damning performance audit of DTC by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the Delhi Assembly in March. The audit assessed DTC's performance from 2015-16 to 2021-22 and flagged cumulative losses of ₹60,741 crore by 2021-22, despite annual revenue grants from the Delhi government. The audit noted that DTC lacked a long-term business or perspective plan and had performed worse than other state transport undertakings and the national average. It also found that DTC had done little to augment non-fare revenue in recent years. 'No major initiatives were taken towards raising non-operational revenue,' the report had said, citing the non-recovery of ₹225.31 crore in rent for depots transferred to cluster buses, delays in awarding advertisement contracts, and failure to commercially utilise available depot space.
India Gazette
23-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
DTC issues new SOP, faulty buses to be removed within 15 minutes
By Tanya Chugh New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has issued a new SOP to remove broken-down buses in the national capital and has deployed cranes and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) at 30 key locations across the city that will monitor and function to remove the faulty buses. Under the new SOP, the faulty buses will be removed within 15 minutes. The buses purchased in 2010 have reached the end of their service life, and their Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs) have also expired, so the government plans to remove them from the roads, said a senior official. At least 100-123 buses break down daily, especially in areas like ISBT Kashmere Gate, Minto Bridge, Sarai Kale Khan, ITO, AIIMS Flyover, and Dhaula Kuan. Keeping this in mind, the new SOP has been issued, he added. As per the new SOP Issued, the QRTs formed will have to respond within 5 minutes of receiving a breakdown alert. After this, the buses will be towed to the nearest depot within 15 minutes. An around-the-clock control room has been established for the same. The waterlogging problem will also be monitored through it. To make it function smoothly, 100 field operation teams have been deployed, and 70 mobile bike teams will fix on-site issues like brake failure. This decision comes in a bid to improve the transport infrastructure and facilities in the state. The main focus is to remove the buses that have reached their end of service life and are not in condition to be used. The government has also planned to make the bus depots in Delhi commercial hubs, which will generate revenue of Rs 2600 crore. On May 2, the Delhi government also launched mini electric buses, DEVI, in the national capital to boost last-mile connectivity. The government further plans to launch more electric buses on the roads of the national capital. (ANI)
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Remove Faulty Buses Within 15 Minutes: Delhi Transport Body's New SOP
New Delhi: The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has issued a new SOP to remove broken-down buses in the national capital and has deployed cranes and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) at 30 key locations across the city that will monitor and function to remove the faulty buses. Under the new SOP, the faulty buses will be removed within 15 minutes. The buses purchased in 2010 have reached the end of their service life, and their Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs) have also expired, so the government plans to remove them from the roads, said a senior official. At least 100-123 buses break down daily, especially in areas like ISBT Kashmere Gate, Minto Bridge, Sarai Kale Khan, ITO, AIIMS Flyover, and Dhaula Kuan. Keeping this in mind, the new SOP has been issued, he added. As per the new SOP Issued, the QRTs formed will have to respond within 5 minutes of receiving a breakdown alert. After this, the buses will be towed to the nearest depot within 15 minutes. An around-the-clock control room has been established for the same. The waterlogging problem will also be monitored through it. To make it function smoothly, 100 field operation teams have been deployed, and 70 mobile bike teams will fix on-site issues like brake failure. This decision comes in a bid to improve the transport infrastructure and facilities in the state. The main focus is to remove the buses that have reached their end of service life and are not in condition to be used. The government has also planned to make the bus depots in Delhi commercial hubs, which will generate revenue of Rs 2600 crore. On May 2, the Delhi government also launched mini electric buses, DEVI, in the national capital to boost last-mile connectivity. The government further plans to launch more electric buses on the roads of the national capital.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
In 15 minutes, buses to be removed after breakdown: DTC comes up with SOPs
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has identified 30 locations where its CNG-run buses frequently break down, causing traffic disruptions daily, said officials. On average, 100 to 123 DTC buses break down daily, most at critical spots like ISBT Kashmere Gate, Minto Bridge underpass, Sarai Kale Khan, Rajghat, ITO, Vikas Marg, Civil lines, Dhaula Kuan, AIIMS flyover, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Ashram, and Dhaula Kuan near Subroto Park police station, among others, officials added. (see box) 'Many buses under DTC and cluster bus services bought during the 2010 Commonwealth Games have completed their service tenure. Several of these buses are being operated after the annual maintenance contract (AMC) has expired, leading to frequent breakdowns…,' said a senior official. More than 2,500 buses – currently plying even after the expiry of AMC – will go off the roads by the end of this year, said officials. 'When buses break down, it not only affects the frequency of the service but also causes traffic congestion. To address this, the DTC has analysed past incidents where buses have had breakdowns, and identified 30 critical locations… These areas are key arterial stretches that see heavy traffic movement…,' said the official. To resolve the problem, the DTC has formed quick response teams (QRT) and deployed 30 cranes at these locations so that affected buses are removed within 15 minutes of breakdown. 'Earlier, whenever a bus used to break down, a team from the concerned depot used to remove it, which took about 3 to 4 hours… Now, a team will remove the bus with the help of a crane within 15 minutes and take it to a nearby depot for repair,' said the official. In a 34-page standard operating procedure (SOP), issued recently, the DTC said, 'The key aim is reducing the response time in removing the blockade caused by breakdown… The scope of this SOP is to serve as a standard protocol for all levels of staff – from control room officers and depot managers to QRTs and crane operators – for the removal of breakdown vehicles from roads, particularly during heatwave conditions and rainy season.' The corporation has also devised roles and responsibilities for each level of its staff. For instance, the regional officials will oversee the implementation of the SOP, coordinate with concerned departments, Delhi Traffic Police and others. The control room, managed by two deputy managers (Traffic), will report to a nodal officer, operate a 24×7 control room, collect information on all breakdowns and waterlogging alerts, and deploy the nearest QRT to a breakdown location within 5 minutes. The depot managers, meanwhile, will conduct daily inspections of vehicle readiness, counsel drivers about waterlogged areas and spots prone to breakdown, among others. The QRTs, which will function under the control room, will reach a spot within five minutes of receiving an alert on a bus breaking down. It will tow the bus while also assisting in minor repairs or making alternate arrangements for the transfer of stranded passengers to other buses. During monsoon, these QRTs will also monitor waterlogging in these locations and inform the control room so that drivers can avoid such routes, said officials. Besides the QRT teams, DTC has set up 100 field operations monitoring teams to ensure smooth operation of buses, prompt response to breakdowns, and regular feedback for corrective action. Also, four regional-level teams and 70 depot-level bike teams will fix repairs like brake failure and others.
