DTC driver death: Family puts cremation on hold, union demands Rs 1 crore as compensation

New Delhi, May 11: Expressing dissent over the compensation declared by state transport minister Gopal Rai for the death of a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus driver who was mercilessly beaten to death by a biker, the DTC union on Monday went on strike.

"DTC management is the worst. They have absolutely no concern for us. Also, the Government has promised only a five lac compensation. Earlier, when a similar incident had happened, the driver's family was compensated with a crore.

This time, our fellow mate didn't die but was murdered while on duty. Hence, this compensation is not enough to pay for his life", said a DTC driver.

The union has called for a strike for an indefinite period until their demands are met.

And now, as per reports, the driver's family has put the cremation on hold demanding Rs 1 crore as compensation from the government.

They also demanded a permanent job and said that the culprits should be booked at the earliest.

Hundreds of thousands of commuters were hit hard in the capital on Monday as DTC crews went on strike to protest against the killing of a driver by a biker in an incident of road rage.

Most of the Delhi Transport Corporation's 4,705 buses went off the roads, with hundreds of drivers and conductors massing at the 45 depots spread across the city, shouting slogans.

A small fleet of buses which plied proved inadequate for the nearly 40 lakh people who use the DTC daily to commute, forcing them to largely turn to the already crowded Delhi Metro.

The strike also affected DTC operations in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai met officials to sort out the issue arising from the Sunday morning incident when a biker, furious after being hit by a DTC bus, beat the driver to death.

Even as passengers watched, the biker used his helmet and a small fire extinguisher installed in the bus to repeatedly hit the driver, Ashok Kumar Singh.

The 42-year-old Singh bled to death while being taken to hospital.

As news of his death spread, DTC staff unions threatened a strike on Monday. From the morning, drivers and conductors gathered at the depots and shouted slogans demanding strict action against the biker who has been arrested.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)