Fifty-five-year-old Fareeda Jalal, a cancer patient, was sitting at the bus stop outside Lok Nayak Hospital in Central Delhi on Thursday, which marked the third day of an ongoing Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) drivers’ strike. Jalal was visibly exhausted after a chemotherapy session, and contemplating a difficult choice: whether to take a shared tempo for Rs 350, or the Metro that would require her to take the stairs, stand and walk.A resident of Dwarka, Jalal usually takes the bus to and from the hospital. On Thursday, however, like several other passengers, she was stranded — scrambling to find other modes of transport.The DTC’s 6,840 public buses see a daily ridership of around 40 lakh. With travel having been made free for women, it is also among the cheapest modes of travel in the city. With more than 10,000 drivers currently on strike, according to unions, over 80% of DTC buses are off the city roads. Commuters bargain with an auto driver. (Photo: Afshana Bhat)“I already spent Rs 350 to reach the hospital in the morning. It looks like I will have to spend that much again as taking the Metro will mean a lot of walking. I don’t think my knees can do so much,” Jalal said.Around 20 km away, Radha (40) stood in front of Shadipur Depot in West Delhi. She had been trying to reach a jeans workshop, where she works, for the last one hour. “I boarded two buses, but one dropped me at the next stop and another at the next red light,” she said. “But I have to report to work. I have to spend money on an autorickshaw ride now,” Radha says.Also Read | Bus services disrupted as strike by DTC drivers enters Day 2, protest to continueIn Central Delhi’s ITO, 45-year-old Sheetal, who works as a domestic help, was bargaining with autorickshaw drivers for a ride to her Laxmi Nagar home, but in vain. “A shared ride usually costs Rs 20-30. But now every driver is asking for at least Rs 80. Yeh auto wale faayda utha rahe hai hartal ka, mooh boli rakam maang rahe hai (The auto drivers are taking advantage of the strike. They are quoting whatever amount they can),” she said. Parked buses at a depot in New Delhi. (Photo: Afshana Bhat)Meanwhile, to assist commuters, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Thursday deployed eight extra trains to run 20 additional trips. Besides, the Delhi Traffic Police advised commuters to plan their journeys keeping in mind that the DTC service disruption is impacting traffic in certain areas.Story continues below this adAlso Read | DTC conductor gets Delhi High Court relief 30 years after overcharging accusation, penaltyAccording to officials, Delhi Metro has recorded a spike in ridership since the strike began on Tuesday. While 72.73 lakh passengers took the Metro on Monday, ridership rose to 76.86 lakh on Tuesday and further to 80.71 lakh on Wednesday. Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:New Delhi