Barely two days after the Delhi Government announced steep hike in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fares, a city-based advocate on Thursday challenged it before the Supreme Court.

“The government’s decision adds unbearably to the living costs of the poor in Delhi,” said advocate M. L. Sharma in his petition requesting the court to stay the hike. Sharma said he would mention the petition before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan on Friday.

According to the petitioner, the government raised DTC fareson the ground that DTC had been incurring massive losses and it also needed Rs 450 crore to buy low-floor buses.

The DTC was suffering losses not because of low fares but due to under-utilization of manpower and resources, it added.

Sharma, in his petition, said DTC did not have enough trained drivers, resulting in 40 per cent under-utilization of buses, which remained parked in its depots.