The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) plans to open canteens in old buses to provide facilities for passengers and increase its revenue. The corporation has planned to convert these old buses into air-conditioned, restaurant-style canteens near major terminals, including the three ISBTs. Tenders have been issued for this purpose.
A model bus has already been prepared as a canteen at the Kashmiri Gate ISBT.
The government sees a twofold benefit in this initiative: passengers at the terminals will gain access to good quality food and drink at low prices, and the DTC will be able to increase its revenue by providing this facility through tenders. The loss-making DTC is exploring various avenues to increase its income, with this canteen tender process being one of them.
Under this scheme, the DTC and the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC), which operates under the Transport Department, are working on a strategy to open these bus canteens.
Currently, no canteen facilities are provided by either the DTC or the DTIDC at any bus terminal or ISBT. All food and drink stalls at the Kashmiri Gate Inter-State Bus Terminal have been removed. This action was taken after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena visited the terminal some time ago. Upon observing the unhygienic conditions around the food stalls inside the bus terminal, he directed that the sale of food and drink items inside the ISBT be banned.
Following this directive, the idea of opening a canteen outside the rest area within the inter-state bus terminal was considered, leading to an old bus being given a new look and converted into an air-conditioned facility.
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Delhi has three inter-state bus terminals, 37 bus depots, and 24 terminals from which buses operate. DTC sources state that if the scheme is successful, opening bus canteens at all these locations will be considered. The strategy will be to provide good food at low prices, and any company that wins the tender will be required to adhere to these conditions.