Delhi HC Asks Delhi Govt To Consider Whether Bus Marshals In DTC Buses Require Proper Training

While hearing a petition complaining about the behaviour of one of such Marshals, the Single Bench of Justice Navin Chawla asked the Delhi Government to consider the contents of the present petition as a representation and if required issue necessary instructions in regard to the complaint made by the Petitioner.

Seeking the court's intervention in addressing his grievances, the Petitioner had sought the following directions from the court:

1. Issue directions to respondent to impart proper training to the Marshals immediately with regard to their duties to be performed in DTC & Cluster Buses being operated by the respondent.
2. Issue directions to respondent to engage proper Monitoring staff with instructions to conduct regular and proper Monitoring in DTC & Cluster Buses to ensure that the Marshals perform their duties allotted to them in DTC & Cluster Buses, with a clear direction to the respondent to terminate forthwith the services of Marshals who are guilty of dereliction of their duties.

Delhi Government had introduced a scheme in 2015 for the deployment of Bus Marshals in the DTC buses in order to ensure the safety of women who use public transportation.

Bus marshals are civil defence volunteers and home guards deputed in DTC buses and recruited by the Department of Revenue and the Directorate General of Home Guards respectively.

Along with basic training in first aid, disaster management, fire safety etc., they are also given

training in self defence, effective communication, environment and basic training in computer.

Last year during the occasion of Bhai Dooj, the government had deployed additional 13,000 of such civil defence volunteers in the DTC buses.

Read Order