Delhi schools, students in a jam as state-owned bus fleet is withdrawn

Costs rise for all sides as state govt is forced to look at options providing a safe, economical transport option

After the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) discontinued all its 579 buses from school duty, a crucial public need is in a fix. DTC stopped lending its buses to schools at the start of this academic year (in April), saying it needed to serve daily commuters. In the absence of a state-bus fleet, private vans and buses haven’t proved to be a safe and reliable alternative for Delhi schools.

The DTC charged schools per kilometre for its service. Private schools like Gyan Bharati (GBS) in south Delhi’s Saket paid between Rs 46,000 and Rs 55,000 per bus monthly. For students, the monthly