Speak up Delhi: Defunct bus stops expose public transport’s dismal condition

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus stops in Greater Kailash-1 are now used only by the adverstisers or those seeking to steal a quick nap in the middle of the day. Some of these defunct bus shelters have either not been upgraded in years or the buses do not stop there anymore.

Most of the bus stops had turned non-functional after the 2010 Commonwealth Games following the change in routes of many buses. Now the benches are all corroded or broken, while buses stop at make-shift stops metres away from them.

One of these, located opposite the Archana Cinema, once had modern infrastructure and still has a number of routes displayed on its board, but no DTC bus service is available for these routes from the stop. For those living in nearby colonies, no public transport system is available, except for auto-rickshaws.

In areas connecting outer Delhi, such as Khanpur, Alipur, Narela, and Bawana, among others, where a large population is dependent on the bus service, again, the bus stops are either defunct or non-existent.

According to a survey done by the traffic and transport experts, a bus stop is needed every 500 m, depending on the density of the population in the area. …read more