New Delhi
The agitating drivers are employed by the concessionaire and not Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). We have spoken to them to ensure that drivers’ grievances are heard and resolved. We have also assured the drivers that all their legitimate demands will be met.”
Delhi transport minister Pankaj Singh said, “We held a series of meetings with all parties concerned.
Other demands include payment for government holidays, annual bonus and social-security benefits, including medical cover. The concessionaire has not even agreed to increasing wages that are very low for us to even manage a small family in Delhi. If our demands are not met, the strike will continue. But since all students thought that they have to arrange transportation for themselves, many took the Metro. There was a lot of chaos at the Metro station.
The DTC Employees Ekta Union, which represents both contractual drivers employed by concessionaires and those on the corporation’s rolls, has been demanding that the pay for contractual drivers be increased from around ₹ 862 per day at present to ₹ 2,000 per day. The union has also alleged that dearness allowance has not been revised for around 18 months and basic increments have not been provided since 2024. For 28-year-old Ravi Pandey, who earns a living by reading electricity meters, the absence of buses has meant long walks. Pandey said he covers around 100 houses and commercial establishments every day, and cannot afford to depend on autos for his entire commute. “With a monthly salary of ₹ 18,000, I cannot afford to travel so much by Metro or auto. An e-rickshaw from Nagia Park to Vishwavidyalaya was charging me ₹ 50, so I preferred walking,” said Pandey, a resident of Shastri Park. A 15-year-old student of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, requesting anonymity, said, “Today, one DTC bus came, and the school had arranged private buses for all of us. “The bus to Mahipalpur from ISBT costs ₹ 15, whereas the Metro through Express Metro line costs around ₹ 60.
Because of the difference in fares, krishna Pal, 48, who works in ground handling at Delhi airport, said he preferred waiting for a bus.
So, I decided to wait for the bus even if it gets slightly delayed,” Pal said. Union president Lalit Choudhary said on Thursday, “Meetings were held, but we have not been given any serious assurance or promise that our demands will be met.
The minister said that around 4,000 drivers on the DTC’s rolls have been asked to resume work on Friday to ease the disruption. Several contractual drivers are also expected to return to work, he added.
