Delhi’s last red DTC bus withdrawn for scrapping after 15 years

Bus DL 1PD 4038 has been withdrawn from Rajghat Depot-I for scrapping after 15 years of service, marking the end of Delhi’s red air-conditioned CNG low-floor buses.

Assigned to route 4038, the bus entered service in September 2011 and covered 9,27,951.9 km before completing its prescribed operational life. DTC staff decorated the vehicle and posed beside it before it was sent for scrapping.

The red low-floor buses brought air-conditioning, automated doors and easier boarding to daily bus travel. They were part of Delhi’s shift away from diesel after the Supreme Court directed the city’s bus fleet to progressively move to CNG by March 31, 2001.

Most CNG low-floor buses introduced around the Commonwealth Games have completed their operational lives. Delhi’s buses are now managed through private concessionaires, including 1,861 green CNG buses, while newer electric buses are being added to the fleet.