Delhi-UP bus service flagged off, over 4 lakh commuters relieved

New Delhi, May 19 (UNI) After more than six months of stand-off, city buses started plying once again between Uttar Pradesh and Delhi after Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf and his UP counterpart Ramachal Rajbhar flagged off the service today, bringing relief to over four lakh commuters.

Both the ministers, after flagging off buses for Noida, Bulandshahr, and Aligarh from Anand Vihar Bust Terminus here, told the media that most of the 'issues' had been sorted out and differences over the rest would be ironed out within a month, by when the 'final agreement' on the issue would be signed.

Blaming the previous Mulayam Singh government for the impasse, they said the issue had unnecessarily been politicised, while assuring passengers that nothing of this sort would be repeated which caused difficulty to the everyday traveller.

On DTC's plight, Mr Haroon Yusuf said the entire structure of the organisation would be revamped within three-four years.

''To begin with, 25 air-conditioned buses are being puchased for plying on the inter-state routes in Uttar Pradesh. If the experiment is successful, the number would be increased.'' Informing that most of the 500 low-floor buses would be on road by August this year, the Minister said 300 new buses are being bought which would ply on inter-state routes.

As per the new understanding, DTC services will continue as per earlier schedules, while UP city buses would ply from five places in Delhi -- Kashmiri Gate, Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan, Old Delhi Railway Station and New Delhi Railway Station.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in her message from New York expressed happiness over the development and thanked her UP counterpart Ms Mayawati for it.

UNI