Sheila cracks whip, says Bluelines to be phased out ''very soon''

New Delhi, Nov 6 (UNI) Coming down heavily on Blueline bus drivers and their owners for continuing to spill blood on the capital roads, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today announced that the 'killer' vehicles would be phased out ''very soon'' and errant drivers put behind bars.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of launching of DTC low-floor CNG buses, Ms Dikshit said, ''The Delhi government has tried every way to reason out with Blueline bus drivers and owners to be extremely cautious while driving their vehicles which have claimed several innocent lives on Delhi roads during the past few months. But that did not bring desired results.'' Ms Dikshit said her government had decided to phase out the 'rogue' buses ''very soon'' and a new fleet of buses would be added to the existing DTC fleet within the next two years to cope with the transport burden of the capital.

''Earlier, the government tried every way to make blueline drivers see reason, but when that exercise did not work we decided to act tough with them. And it is good that now the errant drivers are being booked under sections 279 and 304(A)(culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC which will not allow them to get off the hook easily,'' she explained.

She added: '' We don't want innocent people to be killed on Delhi roads and after seeing the mindless killings by Blueline buses, we have finally decide to take them off the capital roads very soon.'' UNI