Delhi Economic Survey 2017-18: As cars and two-wheelers increase, buses hit 8-year low
The Delhi Transport Corporation’s fleet of buses was at an eight-year low in 2016-17. While the total number of buses in 2009-10 was 4,725, it dipped to 4,027 last year (File) The Delhi Transport Corporation’s fleet of buses was at an eight-year low in 2016-17. While the total number of buses in 2009-10 was 4,725, it dipped to 4,027 last year (File)
While the number of cars and jeeps, motorcycles and scooters in the capital has increased by 5.56 per cent and 8.25 per cent respectively in 2016-17, the number of buses – the city’s biggest mode of public transport — grew only by 2.45 per cent in the same period. According to the Economic Survey of Delhi 2017-18, the number of motorised vehicles in the city have grown at 6.99 per cent in 2016-17 as compared to in 2015-16. This means that 455 cars and jeeps, and 1,380 two-wheelers were added to Delhi’s roads per day. Meanwhile, the Delhi Transport Corporation’s fleet of buses was at an eight-year low in 2016-17. While the total number of buses in 2009-10 was 4,725, it dipped to 4,027 last year.
According to officials in the transport department, the fleet is expected to go up by at least 1,000 in 2018 as the tender for these buses has already been floated. “The Supreme Court has asked us to bring the fleet up to 10,000 in the coming months. We are working towards getting as many buses as we can and the fleet size will see a definite increase,” the official said.
Transport experts have long flagged the inadequacies in public transport and the growth in the number of personal vehicles. These are also among the biggest causes of pollution in the city, as per an IIT-Kanpur apportionment study on pollutants.
Metro ridership to touch 40 lakh after Phase III
According to the survey, after the completion Delhi Metro Phase III, the total span of the Metro network will reach 350 km and the ridership will go up from 28 lakh in 2016-17 to nearly 40 lakh. After a section of the Pink Line — Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus — opened last week, the length of the network touched 252 km.
Work for Phase-III was approved for 160.586 km, and the remaining — close to 100 km network — is expected to be complete by December, 2018. “Phase-III and additional corridors of the 160.586 km route length, with 109 stations (including 42.192 km of route length with 30 stations of NCR), are planned to be completed by December 2018 (except Extension to Dhansa bus stand, targeted to be completed by 2020). Phase IV is under consideration,” the survey said.
For all the latest Delhi News, download Indian Express App