Faster pickups, blind spots: As DTC fleet doubles, fatal crashes triple

Two separate crashes involving Delhi Transport Corporation buses killed two men on Saturday. The incidents matter because they occurred during ordinary journeys and add to a wider series of fatal bus collisions across Delhi. They also raise questions about how buses and smaller vehicles share crowded roads.

In Anand Parbat, a DTC electric bus rammed several vehicles. A 40-year-old scooter rider died, and four other people were injured. In the second crash, Pramod Malik, a cab driver from Haryana, was riding from Masoodpur towards Mahipalpur when a bus hit him near Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj.

Malik was taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared him dead. The article does not establish the exact cause of either crash. However, the deaths come as fatal crashes attributed to DTC buses rose sharply during the first nine months of 2026, increasing pressure for stronger safety measures.

Between January and September, fatal crashes attributed to DTC buses rose from 13 last year to 39 this year. That is an increase of 26 crashes and exactly three times the earlier figure. The change matters because it shows a sharp worsening in the recorded safety outcome over the same nine-month period.

The number of people killed also rose substantially. Deaths increased from 13 last year to 41 this year, an increase of 28 people. These figures include fatal crashes attributed to DTC buses, not every road death in Delhi. They therefore describe a specific bus-related safety concern.

The numbers show the scale of the problem but do not explain its cause. The article points to possible issues involving acceleration, blind spots, driver experience, speeding, overtaking and lane discipline. It says the rise makes closer examination of bus safety and accident-prevention measures imperative.

A bus blind spot is a space around the vehicle that the driver cannot see clearly. The article highlights the left side, particularly the area immediately below the windscreen. This matters because a driver may be unable to notice a nearby scooter or motorcycle before the bus moves, turns or changes position.

Two-wheeler riders often squeeze through small gaps beside larger vehicles. If they enter the blind spot, they can be close to the bus without appearing in the driver’s visible field. A bus driver may then react too late to avoid contact. The size difference between a bus and a two-wheeler makes such a collision especially dangerous.

Former transport commissioner Anil Chhikara said he had evaluated the problem himself and found Delhi traffic particularly challenging. He linked the risk to riders entering blind spots and to drivers lacking enough experience or expertise to respond safely. Better training and detection technology could reduce this danger.

Faster pickup means an electric bus can gain speed quickly after starting or accelerating. On crowded urban roads, nearby vehicles may have only a short time to judge its movement and get clear. This matters especially when scooters and motorcycles are travelling close to a large bus in limited space.

Anil Chhikara said electric buses accelerate rapidly and that this can increase fatal-accident risk on busy roads. A bus that moves forward sooner than expected can close a gap before a two-wheeler rider or driver reacts. If the rider is also near a blind spot, the bus may advance without the driver seeing the smaller vehicle.

The article does not say that rapid acceleration caused any particular crash. It presents acceleration control as one possible safety measure. Chhikara suggested limiting bus acceleration and improving driver assessment and training so drivers can manage real-world traffic more safely.

Speeding, unsafe overtaking and poor lane discipline reduce the space and time available for road users to react. A bus is much larger than a two-wheeler, so sudden movement by either vehicle can create a dangerous conflict. The problem becomes sharper on busy stretches where traffic leaves little room for correction.

Traffic police sources said buses are meant to use the left lane but are often seen in the middle or right lanes. A bus changing position or overtaking from those lanes can cross the path of scooters and motorcycles. Unsafe overtaking may also push vehicles together when drivers cannot see one another clearly or stop quickly.

The article does not assign these behaviours to every crash. It identifies them as possible forms of violation that can increase danger. Enforcing lane discipline, discouraging speeding and improving overtaking practices could give drivers and riders more space to respond.

The article presents several ways to reduce crashes rather than one single solution. These include controlling electric-bus acceleration, assessing drivers before appointment and creating structured simulator training. The aim is to make buses easier to manage and prepare drivers for crowded, unpredictable road conditions.

Technology could provide another layer of protection. Anil Chhikara suggested radar sensors or advanced driver-assistance systems that detect obstacles and automatically bring a bus to a stop. These tools could help when a rider enters a blind spot or a driver has too little time to react. They would supplement, not replace, careful driving and traffic-rule compliance.

Traffic police sources said road-safety sensitisation programmes already exist for DTC drivers. The article does not report whether the proposed controls or systems have been adopted. It does show that prevention would require training, acceleration management, enforcement and vehicle technology working together.

The rise in crashes should be read alongside a larger and changing bus system. The fleet was about 5,700 buses after combining DTC and cluster buses in December 2025. It is now about 6,840, following additions and the merger of DTC and DIMTS operations. More buses mean more vehicles operating in Delhi traffic.

A simple count of crashes does not show the risk faced by each bus. To make that comparison, one would need information such as vehicle numbers, distance travelled, routes and operating conditions. The article provides none of those measures. Therefore, the increase cannot by itself prove that every bus, or buses generally, became more dangerous.

The raw increase still demands attention. Fatal crashes rose from 13 to 39, while deaths rose from 13 to 41. The article says these figures do not establish why crashes occurred, but they make closer examination of driver conduct, traffic compliance and prevention measures imperative.

Two-wheeler commuters face particular concern because the article describes repeated fatal collisions between buses and scooters or motorcycles. Buses are larger, blind spots can hide riders, and crowded roads leave little room to escape. More reported deaths could make ordinary riders feel less secure when travelling beside public transport.

Public confidence could also be affected if people see repeated crashes involving DTC buses. The article does not measure public opinion, so it cannot confirm an actual fall in confidence. It does show a pattern that invites scrutiny, including deaths in Anand Parbat, Vasant Kunj, Ranhola, Najafgarh and New Ashok Nagar.

The increase makes safety oversight more urgent. Authorities would need to examine driver training, speeding, overtaking, lane discipline, acceleration and blind-spot protection. The article also points to radar or ADAS systems. These steps could help, but the reported figures do not identify one proven cause or guarantee one solution.