Short of over a thousand buses, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has yet again failed to rope in any private company for the supply of new buses in the national Capital. This practically means that the ailing State-run transport corporation may not get its new fleet of vehicles anytime in near future.
It was the second time that it failed to rope in any players to supply buses by floating global tenders. The corporation has not been able to procure any new bus in the past three years, reportedly because of differences over terms and conditions of maintenance of the new buses.
A senior official said that three companies —TATA, Volvo and China’s Klong — had participated in the second tendering process with the DTC, however, the Volvo could not make it as the cost of its one bus worked out about Rs one crore. The tender of TATA’s was rejected as the company was demanding Rs62 per km as maintenance charge for each bus. Earlier when the DTC had purchased buses, it had reportedly agreed to pay Rs9 per km for the maintenance of each bus to both TATA and Ashok leyland.
Though the cost of the bus by Klong worked out between Rs32 lakh to Rs34 lakh it did not meet certain other parameters.
The Government had also floated tenders for 1,380 buses about two years ago. Of these, 625 buses were for the JNNURM scheme. Only TATA’s had participated in the tendering process. But the deal fell through as the DTC was not willing to pay the money which the company had demanded towards the maintenance of the new buses.
Soon after the AAP Government took over in Delhi, Transport Minister Gopal Rai made it amply clear that he would not go for single tender process.