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Why DTC drivers are on strike: A quick explainer
Delhi’s DTC contract drivers’ strike over wages and service conditions continued into the weekend, leaving thousands of buses off the road and commuters relying on the Metro, autos and e-rickshaws.
Contractual DTC drivers and conductors are on strike over pay and service conditions.
They earn Rs 862 a day and are asking for Rs 2,000.
They also want medical facilities, social security, an annual bonus, paid holidays and leave.
The government says some benefits have already been approved.
The union says the protest will continue until its demands are met.
Thousands of buses remained parked at depots across the capital.
Services were reported to be hit in areas including Burari, Wazirpur, Nehru Place, Rajghat, Rani Khera, Ghumanhera and Sarita Vihar.
Long queues were seen at bus stops, and some e-rickshaw drivers were asking Rs 15 to Rs 20 for distances of two to two and a half kilometres.
Delhi Metro added train services during peak hours as more commuters switched to it.
Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said the administration had already approved certain benefits, including medical facilities, leave compensation, additional kilometre payments and death assistance.
The government distinguished between direct DTC employees and those hired through private contractors.
Union president Lalit Chaudhary said the drivers were not asking for anything unreasonable and that the protest would continue until the demands were met.
Reports differed on the day count, with one report calling Friday the fourth day of the strike and another saying it entered its fifth day on Saturday.
No emergency order to end the strike was reported in the accounts reviewed.
The strike began earlier in the week and continued through the weekend.
Many Delhi residents rely on DTC buses for daily commuting, so even a short strike has a wide impact on the city.
The strike by contractual drivers and conductors of the Delhi Transport Corporation continued through the weekend of September 19 and 20.
It is led by the DTC Karmachari Ekta Union, which claims that more than 10,000 drivers and conductors are taking part.
DTC low-floor bus, Delhi (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0