DTC's Decision Withdrawing Bus Services To Schools Will Make Delhi's Air Quality Worse: Plea In High Court

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to reconsider its decision of withdrawing DTC bus services to schools in the city.

Moved by Baba Alexander, founder Secretary of National Child Development Council(NCDC), a NGO that is a UN Global Compact partner, the plea states that the decision would have adverse effects not only on the parents and students, but on every citizen of the city as the same impinges on the right to clean environment, being an implicit aspect of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

The plea has been moved by Advocates Robin Raju, Deepa Joseph and Blessan Mathews. The respondents are DTC and the Ministry of Transport, Delhi Government.

According to the plea, the decision of DTC to withdraw its services to schools has disappointed the parents and children at large for the reason that there was no justification for discontinuing its service to schools after doing so for years.

The plea places reliance on media reports to suggest that parents have formed association to express their displeasure to concerned authorities by the decision to discontinue DTC bus services to schools.

"Such a step by parents reflects their deep sense of agony and disappointment by the decision of the Respondent no.1. The decision of Respondent no.1 is also one which will aggravate traffic congestion on Delhi roads. There are already reports that since unlock phase began from March 2022, the traffic situation in Delhi is even worse than what it was prior to Covid," the plea states.

It adds that the said decision will increase vehicular pollution and make the air quality more worse including increased traffic woes which may result in a lot of time wastage in travelling.

"From the perspective of safety of the child; the decision of DTC is one that causes anxiety to parents. Furthermore, the said decision will also increase the financial hardship of parents as they would have to pay more in the name of transportation charges during these precarious times when Covid-19 is still around us," the plea adds.

"The Petitioner in the context of Article 21 that secures right to life and in which the Hon'ble Supreme Court has included right to clean air, urges this Hon'ble Court to direct the Respondent no. 1 and 2 to immediately reconsider its decision to withdraw the service Respondent no.1 bus services to schools in Delhi."

Apart from seeking a direction on the authorities to reconsider the decision, the plea also seeks directions on DTC to clarify its stand over continuance of the DTC bus service to school as it was prior to COVID.

Case Title: Baba Alexander v. Delhi Transport Corporation & Anr.