DTC to boost revenue with bus wrap ads

Public transporter DTC is planning to offer its 842 electric buses for wrap advertising to boost revenue, officials said on Tuesday.

The Delhi Traffic Police, however, has raised concern, saying advertisements should not be placed on the right side of the buses as they can distract motorists, leading to accidents.

The transport department has constituted a three-member expert committee to examine the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) proposal for full body wrap on its buses, they said.

If cleared, there would be an additional fee for advertising on the right side of buses, according to the tender document.

A total of 842 low-floor e-buses of the DTC at different bus depots, including Rohini, Nand Nagri, Rajghat, Mayapuri, Nehru Place, Naraina, among others, are available for display of advertisements, they said.

The new e-buses to be added to the DTC fleet in the coming months will also be sporting the wrap advertisements, an official said, adding the transporter has issued a tender to shortlist bidders.

Also read: Good news for parents! Delhi to regulate private school fees

“This is a part of an overall exercise to enhance DTC’s revenue,” he said.

The DTC will get a fixed monthly license fee for the advertisements based on a minimum reserve price of Rs 3,630 per bus each month. The DTC will charge the monthly license fee, which will be equal to or higher than the minimum reserve price, from the shortlisted bidder, officials said.

The DTC will charge a monthly license fee for only 90 per cent of the e-bus fleet strength (842 currently), considering downtime due to repairs and maintenance, accidents and other such situations, they said.

It will be the responsibility of the shortlisted bidder to ensure that the advertisements are not indecent or offensive to good taste and against the public sentiments, or against the applicable laws, including the MCD Bye-Laws on Advertisements, 1966.

The advertisements will not contain anything that contravenes the advertising industry’s Code of Ethics or cause a traffic hazard, said the tender document.

The outdoor advertising policy of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has listed nudity, racial content, propagating caste, community or ethnic differences, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, cruelty to animals, sexual overtones and such other things as negative advertisements.

Advertisements banned by the Advertisement Council of India or by law, glorifying violence, will also come under negative advertisement and will not be permitted.

If any advertisement is objected to on any ground by any competent authority or otherwise found to be objectionable in nature, then the chief managing director of DTC or any person authorised by him will have the right to get it removed, added the document.