This is the third and final of the three-part series of my column on initiatives taken by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to improve its coffers. DTC has launched public-private partnership scheme for cleanliness and maintenance of public facilities at bus terminals and washing of buses. The scheme has been introduced on an experimental basis and results are encouraging. Expansion of the scheme is in pipeline.

The corporation has also introduced a concept of Route Profitablility Index to have a realistic evaluation of different routes. The index, besides simultaneously focusing on route wise Expenditure Per Kilometre (EPK) and working Cost Per Kilometre (CPK), is also a rational indicator of requirement of buses on a particular route and as such provides indicator of requirement of buses on a particular route and as such provides a pragmatic basis of rescheduling of operation to optimize the load factor.

DTC is also in the process of procurement of Automatic Ticket Issuing Machines for city buses to control leakage of revenue has been initiated. The expressions of interest for equipping the fleet with Automatic Vehicle Tracking System too have been invited.

DTC has introduced some cost cutting measures with the cooperation of the staff. These include a total ban on overtime, weekly off after six days of work and no compensatory off in lieu of restricted holiday or gazetted holiday. Well, a good step though, but I am still not sure how the sarkari babus will take to this.

The Delhi government is aiming to have an intelligent transport system in Delhi by 2009, and tall these measures are aiming towards that. According to an official, about 10,000 low floor Air-conditioned buses are on the anvil by 2010. I will talk about what we are expecting in 2010, in my future columns.