New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The ongoing protest by DTC contractual bus drivers and conductors continues to disrupt public transportation amid worsening air quality in Delhi on Tuesday.
The air quality in the national capital has remained in the “severe plus” category since Sunday, with AQI readings consistently above 450.
A major inconvenience for public bus commuters was aggravated on Tuesday, forcing them to take cabs and bike taxis, as a strike by the DTC contractual bus drivers and conductors demanding equal pay and better working conditions led to a disruption in public transportation. The strike left thousands of daily travellers stranded, forcing many to switch to the metro. The sudden surge in metro users resulted in heavy overcrowding at several metro stations, causing long delays and frustration among the public.
Delhi Metro recorded its highest-ever daily ridership on November 18, with a staggering 78.67 lakh passenger journeys, according to official data. Responding to the protest, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai requested the DTC employees to work together, citing a ‘medical emergency’ due to pollution. “I am in touch with those people (DTC employees), and I want to request that they know that this is a medical emergency and we all need to work together,” Rai said. The Delhi Transport Corporation formed a committee of officers on Monday to consider the demands and grievances of the contractual employees. The DTC Karmachari Ekta Union on Tuesday provided a letter related to the demands or grievances of the contractual employees. The demands of the union, as cited in a letter to the Delhi Transport Commissioner, are that “All contractual employees should be made permanent, should be given job security till 60 years, travel allowance instead of bus pass cum identity card, medical facilities should be provided to all types of contractual employees, and the conductors recruited on compassionate grounds from 2010 should be confirmed as soon as possible.” Their grievances highlighted the stark wage disparities between permanent and contractual staff. The protest gained momentum as male employees joined in, amplifying the call for better working conditions and fair treatment. Additionally, they are asking for job security measures to prevent arbitrary transfers to distant locations, which place an extra burden on contractual employees. The strike came as a response to growing dissatisfaction among DTC’s contractual employees. The situation escalated over the weekend when female employees at the newly inaugurated all-women ‘Sakhi Bus Depot’ in Sarojini Nagar initiated a protest, demanding equal pay and job security. PTI MHS HIG HIG
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