Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has completed the pilot project of rationalisation of routes for buses in East Delhi, with 692 CNG buses gradually going off roads by the end of this year.
The rationalisation will also be carried out in the West region and the North region, and none of the 12-metre bus routes will be discontinued. Even under reduced fleet availability, at least one bus on each route shall be operated, according to the official. “While IIT-Delhi is carrying out route rationalisation of the 9 metre buses, the DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS), which operates cluster buses, have jointly carried out route rationalisation of 121 routes for 12-metre-long buses. This was done for East Delhi,” the official said.
Out of the total 121 routes that were analysed, 100 were those where DTC operated exclusively, while 12 were serviced by cluster buses. There were nine routes that were served both by DTC and cluster buses. There are 2,442 CNG buses (692 DTC, 1,750 Cluster) in operation, with the CNG DTC buses going off road due to life coverage by the end of 2025 and 1,750 CNG cluster buses by 2030-31.
The fleet strength of DTC and DIMTS is steadily declining due to the progressive phasing out of 15-year-old CNG low-floor buses, in compliance with statutory regulations, the official said. This reduction has posed significant challenges in maintaining scheduled operations and ensuring continued passenger services across all existing routes.
The route rationalisation is aimed at ensuring optimal redistribution and utilisation of the fleet based on demand, ridership, and corridor importance. “While preparing the Unified Time Table, additional buses were assigned during peak hours as compared to lean hours to provide improved service quality and reduce waiting time for commuters,” he said.
Up to 50 per cent of the current deployment of DEVI (Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector) buses may be utilised on selected 12 metre routes to maintain service continuity on main artery routes that went underserved due to the phasing out of CNG buses, the official said.
The rationalisation also covered routes affected due to the closure of DIMTS depots in the East Zone, particularly Yamuna Vihar Depot and I.P. Depot, ensuring their services continue without major disruption.
“The exercise ensures continuity of services on all major corridors, improved deployment during high-demand periods, sustainable operations despite fleet reduction and better passenger service,” he added.
According to official figures, between January to June this year, for both DTC and Cluster Buses, the average daily ridership was assessed at approximately 14.25 lakh for male passengers and 14.79 lakh for female passengers.