Delhi Congress hits out at BJP over Metro fare hike, shrinking DTC fleet

Delhi Congress on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Delhi Government over the recent Metro fare hike and a depleted DTC bus fleet, accusing it of burdening the public and pushing commuters towards private vehicles — exacerbating the capital’s already toxic air.

Addressing mediapersons at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s administration had “inflicted a double blow on the people” by raising Metro fares by Rs1-4 and imposing a hefty toll on the newly opened Urban Extension Road-2 (UER-2).

“With DTC services in disarray and Metro fares hiked, ordinary citizens are being forced to rely on private vehicles. This will directly contribute to air pollution, as vehicular emissions already account for 51 per cent of Delhi’s air pollution,” he said.

Yadav alleged the BJP government has systematically reduced the number of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses over the past seven months, with 2,920 buses taken off the roads since January 2024. “In January last year, DTC had 8,040 buses. By July this year, the number dropped to 5,835. Nearly 40 lakh people depend on DTC buses every day, but the fleet is nowhere near sufficient for the city’s needs. The government is nudging people towards private transport,” he said.

He also criticised the government for failing to meet its promise of deploying 5,000 electric buses during the current financial year. “So far, only 785 have been introduced — including 400 mini buses. Even if more buses are procured later, it won’t compensate for the rapid phasing out of older vehicles. The BJP government is making hollow promises while making life more difficult for daily commuters,” he added.

Speaking about the Metro fare hike, Yadav claimed the decision was made “without public consultation” and was an attempt to offset losses from falling ridership. “When Congress was in power, we never raised fares. The Aam Aadmi Party was the first to hike fares by 91 per cent, which led to a steep fall in ridership. Now, the BJP is following the same path. Instead of addressing inflation and unemployment, they are exploiting the people of Delhi with fare and toll hikes,” he said.

Former MLA Anil Bhardwaj accused both AAP and BJP of undermining Delhi’s public transport system. “First, AAP crippled the DTC, and now the BJP has finished the job by hiking Metro fares. The people of Delhi are being looted in the name of development,” he said.