New Delhi, Sep 23 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Rekha Gupta government why ESMA provisions have not been invoked against striking DTC bus drivers and conductors.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia also asked the Delhi government to review the situation and take a decision to ensure that buses ply.
When the bench sought to know why the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) have not been invoked against the striking employees, the counsel for DTC submitted that they have sent a file to the Delhi government for invoking ESMA.
The DTC counsel further told the court that steps have been taken by the authorities to address the issue and nearly 96 per cent of the buses are now back in service.
The counsel said persons involved are sending WhatsApp messages calling for the strike and vandalising buses.
The court was hearing a petition by Ami Sisodia, a woman advocate and a regular DTC commuter, seeking urgent intervention of the authorities for restoration and reasonable continuity of DTC buses across the national capital.
Bus drivers, conductors and other personnel associated with the operation of public buses have been on strike since September 15 demanding an increase in their wages and other benefits.
The petitioner said services have been substantially disrupted due to the ongoing strike by DTC bus drivers, conductors and other personnel associated with bus operations.
The bench disposed of the petition saying, “We expect the state to review and take a decision as per law to ensure that the plying of DTC buses is maintained on the roads.”
It granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the court again in case the situation does not improve in a week.
The petitioner, in the plea, said disruption of public bus services is causing daily hardship to lakhs of commuters who are dependent on affordable public transportation.
The plea, filed by advocate Vikrant Dabas, said the petitioner usually avail the free bus travel facility extended to women by Delhi government but owing to the disruption in bus services, she has been compelled to resort to substantially expensive alternative modes of transportation.
The plea said that the strike was impacting lakhs of residents, students, daily-wage workers, salaried employees, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, patients and economically weaker commuters who depend upon affordable public transportation.
It said the strike shifted the pressure of commuters on the Delhi Metro services.
(PTI News)
