What are some interesting known facts about the Delhi Transport Corporation ?

The DTC is one of the largest bus service providers operating on environment friendly CNG powered buses.

It is also an air conditioned luxury bus and tickets are priced at 2400 INR for above 12 years and 1500 INR for children from 2-12 years.

The Millennium Park Depot Complex of DTC in east Delhi is the largest bus depot in the world.

The number of buses operating on the roads of NCR on a daily basis is around 3,100; thereby ensuring great connectivity and frequency within the NCR.

The DTC is so vast that it provides employment to more than 18,000 people.

Incorporated in May 1948
Formerly known as Delhi Transport Service, it was formed by the Indian Government for local bus service as the then service provider Gwalior and Northern India Transport Company Ltd was providing inadequate services.

DTC encourages women by having recruited around 50 women conductors. It also employed its first lady driver, Venkadarath Saritha from Telangana.

Reconstituted in 1950
In the year 1950, it was reconstituted as ‘Delhi Road Transport Authority’ under the Road Transport Corporation Act. It became an undertaking of Municipal Corporation of Delhi in April 1958 and of the Indian government in 1971.

Finally, in November 1971, the Delhi Transportation Corporation was transferred to the Government of National Capital Territory, Delhi.

The government provides free DTC rides to women on the festivals of Rakshabandhan and Bhai Dhooj in the non A/C buses for the entire day.

Cheapest mode of transport
For small distances or big, DTC buses are the most inexpensive means of commuting. The tickets for the A/C buses are priced at maximum 25 INR and non A/C buses at 15 INR.

Most of us have never heard of this, but yes, the DTC publishes an in house magazine called Dipani Patrika.

Types of buses
The DTC operates from two buses, the Red coloured buses which is an A/C bus and green coloured buses which are non A/C.

DTC provides a special bus service for sightseeing in and around the most popular tourist spots of Delhi, called Delhi Darshan or the HOHO Bus. It is an air conditioned bus and the package is priced around 400 INR (for a day) onwards.

Orange buses are not owned by DTC
A fact that very few people know about is that the orange buses operating across the NCR are not owned by the DTC. They are privately owned by Delhi Transit Corporation.

Regular passengers can also purchase bus passes based on their travelling frequency for a limited period of time. The monthly DTC bus pass costs 850 INR for non-AC and 1,000 INR for AC buses. It would be available for women at 250 INR only.

Connecting the city
With 733 routes in its network system, the DTC very well connects most parts of NCR.

The buses plying under DTC are a product of TATA Marcopolo, which is a joint venture between TATA Motors of India and Marcopolo SA of Brazil.

The digits mentioned on the top in the middle of bus tickets represent the route no. of that bus.

Largest CNG powered bus service
The DTC is one of the largest bus service providers operating on environment friendly CNG powered buses.

Conductors on DTC buses do not mark the tickets with a pen, instead they tear off the tickets from two locations indicating the starting and ending point of the passenger’s journey on that bus.

World’s biggest depot
The Millennium Park Depot Complex of DTC in east Delhi is the largest bus depot in the world.

Delhi- Lahore-Delhi is another bus service connecting Delhi and Lahore (Pakistan) is operated by DTC.
It is also an air conditioned luxury bus and tickets are priced at 2400 INR for above 12 years and 1500 INR for children from 2-12 years

The most important means of public transport in and around the NCR deserves some acknowledgement and appreciation as well. Connecting most parts of NCR and used by a majority of its travellers, it has surely come a long way. Government is constantly making improvements and looking for better ways to make this service more accessible and even more widely used as it is environment friendly. We hope that this article gives you a better understanding of the working and functioning of the DTC buses in Delhi.

The DTC owns around 77 properties in and around Delhi, comprising of terminals and depots (around 46).