The Hindu : New Delhi News : DTC panel stresses better crew management

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 03, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

DTC panel stresses better crew management

By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI, JAN. 2. To improve the operational efficiency of the over-staffed Delhi Transport Corporation, the Core Committee set up to look into the restructuring recommendations made by Tata Consultancy Services has stressed the need for the Corporation to implement crew bench-marking exercise and deploy personnel on the basis of vehicle and crew scheduling and not on the basis of the number of buses.

The panel has also upheld the TCS view that to enhance crew productivity, changes be made in the steering hours of drivers, absenteeism be managed, and driver-wise and conductor-wise monitoring of key performance indicators like km run per day and revenue collected per trip be undertaken.

On the suggestion that DTC increase fleet and vehicle utilisation by reducing trip cancellations by better trips planning, material management and procurement practices, the panel said the Corporation should itself suggest the actual measures. Further, it agreed to the recommendation that the maintenance schedules at depots be redesigned by stating that maintenance should be done mainly at night.

For making the Corporation more efficient, TCS had also recommended that it upgrade infrastructure facilities at workshops and depots including cold process retreading plant, vehicle reconditioning unit, automatic washing machines, permanent sheds for maintenance works and provision for refuelling of CNG at all depots. On this the Core Committee said DTC should suggest a time schedule and also what can be "outsourced".

Meanwhile, DTC has stated that the number of trips on Mudrika routes have been increased and Outer Mudrika, Gramin Mudrika and Zakhira Mudrika services are also being promoted. And while night trips are being added, the system of crew change at suitable places or terminal is being introduced. This, it said, will increase vehicle utilisation and crew utilisation.

The Corporation also said for improving efficiency automatic cancellation of trips by Traffic Inspectors without speaking orders has been stopped, shortcomings in existing purchase policy is being analysed, steps are being taken to remove bottlenecks without violating guidelines of Central Vigilance Commission, Rs. 8 lakhs per day are being set aside for spares and tyres and delegation of powers has been enhanced.

Also, DTC said, groups of maintenance staff have been made responsible for identified buses along with incentives and disincentives for vehicle up time and a comprehensive proposal for upgradation of maintenance infrastructure of CNG fleet has been moved.

The Corporation said tenders have also been called to set up a new cold process tyre-retreading plant and existing infrastructural facilities are being updated to provide better capacity utilisation and productivity. Finally, DTC said while drivers have already been engaged through outsourcing agencies, outsourcing options for other staff categories are being explored.

For reducing cost of operations, DTC has stated that depot managers have been asked to monitor driver-wise and vehicle-wise records of performance for operational parameters and the parameter tracking system has also been put in place for consumables.

And since TCS and the Core Committee had recommended computerisation of Central Inventory Control System and called for phasing out of diesel fleet through replacement and scrapping procedures, DTC has stated that while the process of computerisation for centralised inventory control is underway, the process of phasing out of diesel buses has also begun and nearly 207 of them have been withdrawn from service for scrapping. Also, it said reconditioning of chassis and coach of buses at regular intervals is being done as suggested for increasing the life of vehicles.

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