Maintain, renovate all bus shelters in Delhi: High Court to DTC

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to undertake the construction, maintenance and renovation of all bus queue shelters in Delhi and ensure none is in a dilapidated condition.

Issuing these directions, a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar disposed of a plea by advocate Arpit Bhargava, who said bus queue shelters, including one at Deshbandhu Gupta Road, are in such a bad shape that they can collapse anytime and hurt people.

The plea filed through advocates Hina Bhargava and Varun Talwar said that he had been complaining to DTC and the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDCL) for two years, urging them to repair the dilapidated bus stop, but no steps were taken.

The bench directed the authorities to reconstruct the bus queue shelter on Deshbandhu Gupta Road on priority basis and renovate such other bus stops as early as possible and practicable.

The petitioner alleged that the bus shelter, known as the Anand Parbat bus stop, might collapse any day, resulting in serious injuries or loss of life.

Bhargava also said all bus stops should be well lit to ensure the safety and security of the public at large.

“There is a blatant laxity on part of both respondents in not performing its duty to make efforts in providing basic infrastructure in the form of BQS across Delhi which are well lit and do not become a source of nuisance to passengers or public at large and ensure safety and security of public at large. There is complete lack of will in the respondents to take immediate steps in constructing, maintaining and /or renovating BQS across Delhi,” the plea had contended.