Blueline: Delhi Transport Minister's resgn sought

New Delhi, July 10: People's Action, a not-for profit organisation today demanded the resignation of Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf in view of the recent spate of deaths caused by rash and negligent driving by Blueline bus drivers.

''If this government has any moral fibre left, if the Chief Minister has any sense of responsibility in her and if the Transport Minister has any sense of justice, he should resign,'' said Col. (Retd) D K Shandilya, General Secretary of People's Action.

He said accidents happen due to fundamental deficiencies in the system of training, law enforcement, indiscipline, poor corporate practices, low salaries, illiterate drivers, lousy vehicle maintenance and corrupt practices of licensing and permit delivery.

''In each of these counts, the Delhi Government and the Transport department stand to be the culprits,'', said Sanjay Kaul, President of People's Action.

''We all remember that Red Line buses also had been banned for the same reason. It is only a matter of renaming the disease and the disease is governmental corruption,'' said an angry resident of Vikaspuri where a young boy was killed yesterday.

People's Action said that accidents can only be stopped by taking a number of urgent steps in conjunction. Corruption in the licensing process should be weeded out and it should be passed on to AA and other not-for-profit specialist organisations, the group said. It also suggested that qualification requirements of recruits must be upgraded along with their salaries and all transport companies, including DTC must be penalised to the tune of a minimum Rs 25 lakhs per case of death.

''This alone will ensure that private companies invest in good vehicle maintenance, training and recruitment of drivers,'' said Ajay Jain, Executive Member, People's Action.

UNI

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