Delhi Transport Department: Revenue Increase More Important Than Public Safety
By – Sanjay Kumar Bathla
Following the Nirbhaya incident on the streets of Delhi in December 2012, when people took to the streets demanding women’s safety, a committee was formed under the leadership of the Secretary of the Home Ministry, Government of India, and High Court Judge Usha Mehra issued immediate action and guidelines.
Orders of December 2012 and Today, 2026
In the name of complying with this order, the Delhi Transport Department forced vehicle owners to install GPS devices in their vehicles and began charging a fee of 2,000 to 2,500 rupees per month for monitoring. However, in the name of monitoring, they have not yet timely reported the app to the enforcement branch officials to ensure security.
Revenue increase is more important than women’s safety, and they continue to increase revenue while showing women’s safety on paper to everyone else (Home Ministry of India, Supreme Court of India, and High Court of Delhi).
If there is any agency/government department most responsible for the insecurity of women on the roads, especially in the capital of India, it is:
1. Number one is “Transport Department”
2. Number two is “Delhi Traffic Police” and
3. Number three is “Delhi Police”
For your information, the public transport vehicles on Delhi’s roads are equipped with GPS, cameras, and panic buttons, but they serve only as toys, and the sole responsibility for this lies with “Delhi Transport Department”.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways established control centers through NIC to control VLTDs, GPS, panic buttons, and cameras, and provided crores of rupees to the transport departments of all states to operationalize the control centers.
Despite receiving this funding for the past four years, the Delhi Transport Department has been preoccupied with revenue rather than ensuring women’s safety.
On April 27, 2026, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, issued a written notification to all Principal Secretaries (Transport)/Transport Commissioners, States and Union Territories, “Subject: Go-Live of National Informatics Centre (NIC) Common Layer Backend Services for AIS-140 VLTD Activation and Vehicle Registration.” (Hindi translation and copy enclosed)
If this is the state of the Transport Department regarding women’s safety in India’s capital, then the rest is left to God’s mercy, as the Principal Secretary (Transport) herself is a woman.
