New Delhi [India], September 22 (ANI): A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking urgent intervention of the authorities for restoration and reasonable continuity of DTC and public bus services across the national capital, which the petitioner claims have been substantially disrupted due to the ongoing strike by drivers, conductors and other personnel associated with bus operations.
The petition has been filed by Ami Sisodia, a practising advocate and regular DTC commuter, against the Government of NCT of Delhi, its Transport Department, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the Home Department.
Seeking urgent listing, the petitioner has said that the continuing disruption of public bus services is causing daily hardship to lakhs of commuters dependent on affordable public transportation.
According to the petition, the disruption has particularly affected women commuters who depend on the free bus travel facility provided by the Delhi government. It states that, due to the disruption, the petitioner and other women commuters have been compelled to use substantially more expensive alternative modes of transport.
The plea, however, says that the issue goes beyond the petitioner and affects a large section of Delhi’s population, including students, daily-wage workers, salaried employees, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, patients and economically weaker sections who rely on affordable public transport.
The petitioner has referred to reports of substantial disruption of the DTC fleet, participation of thousands of drivers in the strike and commuters being left stranded or forced to spend more on alternative transportation. The disruption has also, according to the plea, placed additional passenger pressure on the Delhi Metro.
The petition further points out that the Delhi government has previously recognised DTC and Cluster Bus services as an “essential transport service of critical importance” under the statutory framework concerning maintenance of essential services.
Importantly, the petitioner has clarified that she is not seeking adjudication of the wages, service conditions or industrial grievances of the protesting personnel, nor any coercive action against individual drivers or conductors.
Instead, the plea seeks directions to the concerned government and statutory authorities to take all necessary and legally permissible measures for restoration of adequate bus services. Pending complete restoration, it seeks measures to ensure a reasonable minimum level of public transportation so that the general public does not continue to suffer indefinitely because of the dispute.
The petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution as a public interest litigation. Advocate Vikrant Dabas is representing the petitioner. (ANI)
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