DTC contractual drivers protest enters third day, commuters stranded across Delhi

The protest by Delhi Transport Corporation's (DTC) contractual drivers demanding higher wages, medical benefits and better working conditions entered its third day on Thursday, leaving commuters stranded for hours across several parts of the national capital.

The drivers, many of whom operate the city's new electric buses, said they would continue the protest until their demands were addressed.

Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Singh on Wednesday (September 16) assured the drivers that their issues would be looked into and appealed to them to call off the strike.

The protest is being led by DTC's contractual drivers, who are demanding that the facilities and benefits available to permanent DTC drivers be extended to them. Their demands include better wages, medical facilities, social security, improved working conditions and greater job security.

The DTC has 37 depots across Delhi NCR.

The protest began on Tuesday (September 15) at Burari Ground, with drivers from the Burari, Nangloi, Rewla Khanpur, GT Karnal Road (GTK), Nehru Place and Shadipur depots joining the agitation.

The protesting drivers stopped buses, asked passengers to get off and parked the vehicles at Burari Ground. Around 280 buses from the Burari depot remained parked inside the depot during the protest on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the DTC Bus Drivers' Union estimates, nearly 12,000 drivers are working on a contractual basis for the DTC.

The drivers have put forth several demands, including a minimum daily wage of Rs 2,000, medical facilities, annual and festival bonuses, removal of penalties and salary stoppages following accidents, one weekly day off, strict enforcement of a 100-km daily route limit and direct absorption under the DTC instead of employment through third-party contractors.

"The drivers hired through third-party contracts operating DTC buses are paid Rs 862 a day with no social security, paid leave or annual bonus," a DTC bus driver from the Nehru Place depot told India Today Digital.

The names of the drivers who spoke to India Today Digital have been withheld at their request, as they feared they could be "targeted and blacklisted".

"A bus costs around Rs 1.5 crore, but what does the person driving it get? Rs 862 a day," the driver told India Today Digital.

The agitation has disrupted public transport for daily commuters, particularly students and low-wage workers who rely heavily on DTC buses because of their relatively affordable fares.

"What is our fault in this? We travel by these buses every day, so naturally, we will ask when the buses are not available," a student travelling from Nehru Place to the GB Pant DSEU Okhla-I campus told India Today Digital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticised the BJP, which is in power in Delhi, over the continuing protest.

"Millions of passengers are troubled by the DTC strike in Delhi, but the BJP government is paying absolutely no attention to this issue. Drivers and conductors are on the streets regarding their demands, but the government is not even engaging in talks with them," AAP posted on X.

A senior DTC official told India Today Digital on Wednesday that only a few buses had been able to operate since the morning. The official said some buses that had left their depots for duty were later parked on the roads.

"We request the drivers to operate the buses as the public is facing inconvenience. We have conveyed their demands to the government and will try to find a solution at the earliest and bring the strike to an end," the official said.

The impact of the protest by the DTC bus drivers also raised concerns over commuting towards airports. Nearly 70% of shuttle buses within the terminals and 80% of buses operating to and from the airport were running, according to the DTC statement on Wednesday.

The airport authorities on Thursday issued an advisory warning passengers that bus connectivity to and from the airport could be affected due to the ongoing protest.

The DTC drivers have reiterated that they would intensify the strike if their demands were not addressed.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Sep 17, 2026 18:56 IST