DTC uses CWG to showcase India’s ability to host international mega events

NEW DELHI - The ongoing XIXth Commonwealth Games has served as an ideal platform for the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to showcase its ability to transform its fleet of buses into vehicles matching international standards.

Currently, 600 high-tech buses manufactured by TATA Motors are being run across the length and breadth of the national capital with the help of green fuel-CNG. This exclusive fleet is being used to transport athletes, media and technicians participating in the CWG.

The fleet is operating out of the CWG bus depot at Indraprastha, Delhi, along the banks of river Yamuna.

It is centrally located to various competition /practice venues, games village and the airport. It is spread over 60 acres land and is the largest depot in the world with a capacity of 1000 buses.

It was developed in a record time of nine months with full-fledged parking facilities, workshops, CNG filling and washing units. It has been built from the land retrieved from the ash pond of an erstwhile power plant.

Commonwealth Games 2010 Observing Committee members visited the depot to check and discussed with DTC management the working of transport systems and facilities available in the premises.

Neil Deveni, Member, Glasgow Observing Committee, said: “Absolutely fantastic bus network. This is the largest and I have ever seen and very clean, modern and comfortable.”

“It is fantastic, obviously lots of buses, some of the equipments are new and very good and impressive, said Master Buzeco, Scotland.

“Very impressive compound, huge number of buses. We have never seen so many buses before and our experience about this service is absolutely excellent. It legacy for the city and the people of delhi, said Ian Reid, Finance Director, CWG, Glasgow 2014.

“They were very happy and impressed and appreciated our efforts,” said Naresh Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director, DTC

The transportation of 7000 odd athletes and officials of CWG is not an easy task coupled with the transportation needs of general public and spectators for the events.

The DTC has dedicated team of 2500 personnel, which runs the CWG bus operations.

Before any bus leaves for the Games Village to pick up the athletes, it is fully sanitized. The bus is checked by anti sabotage teams that use sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squads. Delhi police and paramilitary force guard the depot and 36 CCTVs are installed to track movement inside and outside the depot.

Each bus is fitted with radio frequency tag, GPS system and tetra communication sets for the purpose of security and communication sets for the purpose of security and instant communications.

To maintain punctuality, the schedule of buses is decided well in advance in consultation with the CWG Organizing Committee on daily basis.

A dedicated schedule section of DTC and OC works round the clock from CWG bus depot communicating the hourly requirement of buses that is communicated to the specific driver / conductor and the security personnel in advance who assemble at the given time to execute the transport operations.

The DTC fleet of 600 buses is responsible for transporting players from airport to games village to 12 competition venues and six other practice venues apart from transporting media persons and technicians from various hotel locations.

Delhi police is providing full proof security for each bus when the bus leaves this place it is followed by two security vehicle which have about ten security personnel.

The DTC story establishes India’s credibility to handle and host mega sporting events like the CWG, which is only next to the Olympics in scale with professionalism. By Rajesh Gaur(ANI)