HC directs Delhi, UP to resolve transport crisis in 10 days

New Delhi, Dec 1 (UNI) Taking plight of the commuters in the National Capital Region(NCR) into consideration, the Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Governments to resolve their inter-state transport crisis amicably in ten days.

A bench of acting Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Hima Kohli asked the authorities of both the neighbouring states to settle all the vexed issues and submit affidavits by December 18, the next date of hearing.

The Court took strong exception to the abcence of UP Transport Secretary, who was present in the court on November 24, when the bench had given a week for inroning out the problems.

The Court reiterated its earlier order directing the UP Transport Authority to release the impounded buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation(DTC).

In the last order, the Court had said if the transport row was not resolved amicably keeping the interest of the citizens and people in mind, the Chief Secretaries of the states would be directed to be present in the court to explain the reasons for not arriving at a solution.

The Court had directed the Delhi Government to allow the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses to come to the capital to fill CNG fuel and the UP transport department to release the impounded buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) immediately.

The Delhi Transport Commissioner and DTC Chairman were present in the court during the hearing.

The UP Government had filed a petition on November 23 in the High Court seeking direction to the Delhi Government to allow its buses to enter the Capital to fill Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) fuel.

The petition filed by Regional Manager of the UP Road Transport Corporation at Noida alleged that the Delhi government did not allow its fleet of CNG buses to come to Delhi to fill their tanks with gas.

The Delhi Government did not allow the UP Government to ply its newly-acquired fleet of CNG buses on local routes between the Capital and NOIDA and Greater Noida on November 13.

Both the state governments are at loggerheads for the past several weeks after the UP Government started impounding Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses in its territory, demanding permits.

The DTC had been operating local buses complying to the directions of the Supreme Court in the MC Mehta vs UOI in the NOIDA, Ghaziabad and other towns in the NCR for the past several decades for the convenience of the public.

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