NEW DELHI: In an exclusive interview with The New Indian’s Executive Editor, Rohan Dua, Delhi’s former transport and education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, has disclosed how buses purchased between 2008-2010 are running in Delhi despite their expired 10-year lifespan that has got over, putting lives of Delhiites at risk.
Lovely, who left Congress in 2024 to join the BJP for the second time, remarked, “There are now 2,800 DTC buses in Delhi. However, these buses have reached the end of their lifespan.”
Discussing the current state of Delhi’s public transport system, he pointed out the concerning condition of the DTC buses.
He added, “These buses were supposed to last for 10 years. By 2020-2021, these buses had completed their lifespan. But they continue now.”
Lovely, who is contesting from Delhi’s Gandhinagar seat in East Delhi, is facing AAP sitting MLA Anil Bajpai in the political duel that is do-or-die battle for both at a time when Kejriwals is facing 11-year anti-incumbency.
Asked if it was true that Delhi government, first under Arvind Kejriwal’s tenure and then followed by Atishi’ tenure over the last 11 years, never expanded their public transport fleet despite promises, he said both AAP leaders should face public scrutiny for lying.
“The population of Delhi has increased by 40%. This significant rise in population has placed tremendous pressure on the city’s infrastructure, particularly public transportation. But neither Kejriwal, nor Atishi thought of increasing bus fleet,” said Lovely.
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Lovely’s comments underscore a major concern for Delhi’s transportation system, which has struggled to keep up with the rapid increase in residents.
He said, “The buses must be gradually phased out in Delhi as they reach the end of their service life..but with Kejriwal and Atishi’s pack of lies, you don’t know how they risk lives of people,”
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शीला के मंत्री Arvinder Lovely: मैं CNG bus लाया, Kejriwal School घोटाला कर बसों के पैसे शीश महल में
Lovely’s comments underscore a major concern for Delhi’s transportation system, which has struggled to keep up with the rapid increase in residents.
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Despite these challenges, the conversation also turned to possible solutions. Lovely emphasized the need for new, modern buses to replace the outdated fleet.
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“The city must invest in new buses and other modes of public transport to ensure that the growing population has access to efficient, reliable transportation,” he said.
As Delhi continues to face these infrastructural hurdles, Aravinder Singh Lovely’s remarks offer a glimpse into the urgent need for reform in the public transportation sector.
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