Delhi's 533 Cluster Buses Won't Face Shutdown Till July

New Delhi: A total of 533 cluster buses will not go off Delhi roads till July. A decision in this regard, taken by the Delhi government in view of the summer season and rising congestion, has brought relief to those availing these buses to commute.

Over 500 old buses operating under the cluster scheme were to be phased out due to technical reasons and contract termination. This could have caused severe inconvenience to the passengers of many routes in the capital due to dearth of buses. However, on the petition of the transport department, court has suspended the previous order and allowed the buses to ply till July 2025.

According to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) data, around 41 lakh passengers travel by buses daily in Delhi. These cluster buses take them to different areas of Delhi and its services have become extremely important, especially during the summer season. If these buses are phased out, it will put a huge burden on metro services and other public transport. Also, passengers will have to face a lot of problems.

Out of these 533 buses, 295 are running under cluster 7 and 238 are under cluster 8, which connect the north-east, western, southern and outskirts of the city. These buses prove to be particularly helpful to the working class during the peak morning and evening hours.

Officials said plans are afoot to bring in new fleet. Delhi government has already announced that new electric and CNG buses will soon replace the old buses. Process is underway, they added.

However, till new fleet comes into service, these cluster buses will provide relief to the passengers of the capital by helping in maintaining a balanced public transport system.