35 Airport Express buses withdrawn, passengers hit

New Delhi: Denting its status of operating ‘services of global standards’, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has withdrawn 35 Airport Express buses out of the total 50, despite the buses yielding profit. The news has come as a shock to the passengers and the workers employed at the airport. Being a public transport, the service is economical at Rs 100 compared to the taxi service, which charges over Rs 1,500 to places such as Kashmere Gate and Indirapuram. The subsidised rates had made the service a hit among the frequent flyers and employees.
Even after being the touted as the DTC’s ‘dream project,’ on which the number of buses was to be increased to 150, the recent decision only highlights the management’s poor decision making. Sources in the DTC traffic department said that the Airport Service on an average earns Rs 29 per km in comparison with Rs 22 on the city routes. The total earning from these buses alone amounted to Rs 1 crore per month when all the 50 buses were plying, the source said. The move is burning a hole in the Corporation’s pocket of around Rs 80-90 lakh per month.
14/12/11 The Pioneer

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Categories: airports Dec 2011