RTI reveals large number of recently bought low floor buses broke down
22 Apr, 2013The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that over 500 low floor buses bought by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) in 2009 have broken down.
The data provided by the DTC in the reply shows that 234 air conditioned low floor buses and 284 non air conditioned low floor buses had a breakdown. The reply also showed that these breakdowns were reported from only three bus depots viz. East Vinod Nagar, Noida and Nand Nagri. It is to be mentioned that DTC has paid heavily to the manufacturers for maintenance of the low floor buses, each costing Rs. 55 lakhs. The annual maintenance contract (AMC) for AC buses is paid at the rate of Rs 4.10 per km for first 75,000 km or one year; Rs 5 per km for 1.5 lakh km or two year; and Rs 7.10 per km for 2.1 lakh km or three years, whichever is later. Similarly for non AC buses, the corresponding rates are Rs 3.2 per km, Rs 4.60 per km and Rs 6.50 per km respectively.
The Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) has put the cause of low life of the low floor buses as their incapacity to sustain huge excess load as is always expected in the national capital which puts pressure on the electrical system of the buses.