Senior DTC officials said that the new drivers will be recruited mainly to run the new low floor and air conditioned buses, with the agency planning to add at least 2,500 low-floor and semi low-floor buses to its fleet by the end of 2009. “We want drivers with a clean record since these buses are expensive and are maintained by the agencies manufacturing and supplying them,” said a senior DTC official. He added that even now, with 325 green buses and 16 red air-conditioned buses plying through the city already, the agency is being extremely careful about choosing drivers for them.

“These are high-maintenance buses that cost us over Rs 40 lakh each. We are trying to hire experienced drivers who have a good track record,” the official added.

The agency currently has 5,000 permanent drivers and around 1,700 drivers working on contract basis. The new drivers will be recruited through the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) which held an exam in April this year, and will be hired by DTC on a daily wage contract.

As reported by Indian Express earlier, DTC has been facing a severe staff crunch of late, with most drivers employed by the organisation being over 50 years of age, the maximum age limit for DTC bus drivers being 35 years.

“Even attendance on any normal working day is only 60 per cent because they are either ill or have to visit their villages during the harvest season,” said an official, adding that this was the main reason behind hiring new drivers.