No Parking Space for New Buses in Delhi

The state government was to have inducted 3,000 buses by now to check air pollution in Delhi. But with the transport department pleading that there was no depot space available for any additional fleet, it is unlikely that public transport will have a role to play in improving air quality this winter.

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority recently notified the court that the DDA had identified 68 acres that could accommodate 1,100-1,600 buses. EPCA said, therefore, that non-availability of land for bus depots wasn't a concern any longer and that Delhi government could immediately acquire a thousand buses. The EPCA note was also sent to the LG, the chief minister and the transport minister.

Delhi will have a far lower number of buses this winter also because of the various procedural delays in acquiring new buses. As of now there are around 5,600 public transport buses when the capital is reckoned to need 11,000. To make things worse, there has been a steady decline in vehicle fleet since 2012-13, with many buses being retired due to age.

Read the full article @ Times of India