Noida: As dense fog blanketed Noida, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) drivers are finding it hard to drive in challenging conditions.
The drivers, who are paid ₹2.18 per kilometre, said they cannot afford to skip their daily schedule since missing a trip would mean losing income.
Akash Kumar, a bus driver at the Noida depot who operates on the Noida–Aligarh route, said, “Driving becomes difficult for us as dense fog engulfs parts of the state. We try to leave Noida early in the morning and cruise at a slow speed to avoid accidents. Sometimes, we encounter heavier fog on expressways than in cities. But with guesswork, and due to daily commuting on the same route, we somehow manage to drive.”
Pankaj Srivastava, another driver, said, “We cannot afford to drop our journey. As we are paid ₹2.18 per kilometre, skipping a journey would directly impact our income.”
Asked about the drivers’ challenges amid fog, the UPSRTC officials said the buses have been equipped with fog lights, wipers and indicators, and that drivers have been sensitised to maintain slow speeds.
“The drivers have been sensitised to follow speed limits and traffic rules. Meanwhile, due to dense fog, night journeys from Noida to Lucknow have also been suspended,” said Rohtash Singh, assistant regional manager (UPSRTC Noida).
“As passengers reach the depot early in the morning, we are bound to continue the journey,” the official added.
The UPSRTC Noida depot operates 188 buses, connecting Noida with neighbouring districts such as Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Agra and Aligarh, in addition to long-distance routes to Lucknow and Dehradun.
Notably, dense fog has gripped the city, severely reducing visibility, and making daily travel hazardous, especially during early mornings and late nights. On Monday, visibility levels across the city fluctuated between 50 and 200 metres.
On Saturday night, two men escaped with injuries after two cars erupted in fire following a chain collision involving three vehicles due to dense fog on the Yamuna Expressway.