Permits of 600 Bluelines cancelled

New Delhi, July 6 (UNI) Cracking the whip on unruly Bluelines, in the wake of rising accidents on city roads, permits of 600 buses were cancelled today.

Henceforth only those holding licence issued by Delhi authority would be allowed to drive buses in the national capital, the Chief Minister told the media.

The permits cancelled with immediate effect are of those buses which instead of plying on alloted routes had been operating on money spinning routes, she said.

Soon all contract buses, plying on Delhi roads, will be cancelled and only those holding the licence would be permitted to run the Blueline buses, she told reporters, adding that anyone found defying the orders would be strictly dealt with.

Informing that soon only DTC buses would run on the Outer and well as Inner Ring Road, Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yousuf said the government was working on a short-term plan as well as a long-term plan to rid Delhi of the Blueline mess.

''There would be a 5-7 minute gap between them.'' This financial year 2,000 low-floor buses would be launched on Delhi roads and the first batch would come as early as September this year, he said.

Earlier this figure had been a mere 500 buses.

''Now onwards the intelligence wing of the Transport department will carry out 'sudden checks' to inspect that Bluelines were plying on their designated routes,'' the transport Minister said.

Also, henceforth Bluelines would be given permits for a 4-month period, which earlier was for a five year period, he said adding that this year only 137 blueline licences would be renewed.

In addition to this, the near;ly 1,100 DTC buses, operating as schools buses, would ne ploughed back for the people's convenience.

''School authorities have been informed about this,'' the minister added.

It is estimated that about 5,300 Bluelines run on Delhi roads though official figures indicate a mere 4,000 of them are plying.

UNI