DTC for upgrade,to launch helpline

“Through the helpline service,people can register their complaints and grievances. Any issue related to breakdowns,services provided or the behaviour of the driver and conductor and fellow-commuters can be reported through this helpline,” the minister said.

The helpline is part of value-added services offered by the DTC,in addition to providing air-conditioned buses and two new dedicated Mudrika services in the last six months.

Though the DTC already has a provision of keeping a complaint register in the bus,officials said the service is hardly used. According to an official in the department,the government is also looking at extending the services of the helpline towards providing information about bus routes and bus fares.

As part of its efforts to offer a better system of Passenger Information Service (PIS),the government is also in the process of insatlling sensors on low-floor buses to keep track of breakdowns through a centralised control centre to be set up at the DTC head office.

The sensors will be a part of the Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL),which is being run by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) for the government.

Together,the helpline and the GPS system are expected to help DTC improve its ‘reaction time’ in the face of incidents like breakdowns,accidents and fires,officials added.