Blueline crisis: Govt gives permits to chartered buses

New Delhi, July 12 (UNI) As a large number of Blueline buses today kept off the roads, the Delhi Government issued temporary permits to several chartered buses to ply on routes, in an effort to ward off the problems faced by commuters.

State Tranport Minister Haroon Yusuf said chartered buses which are operating as school buses have been given the permits.

''Compared to the dismal number of buses on roads yesterday, the situation was much better today. About 2,500 Bluelines today plied, apart from DTC's fleet of 2800,'' he said.

In addition, the Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to put an additional 180 buses on NCR routes to fill the gap arising out of withdrawal of DTC buses. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation have enhanced the frequency of its trains.

On invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to force the Bluelines back on the roads, the Minister said that option was open for the Government if the situation did not improve in the next few days.

Scores of Blueline buses had kept off the road since Tuesday since the Government crackdown on them in the wake of the public outrage over a spate of road deaths involving these buses.

A reduced number of buses have caused a lot of problems to commuters, using public transport. They waited for long hours at bus stops and most could not board the few buses coming their way because these were already packed beyond capacity.

Many of them were seen hanging from footboards and rear bumpers.

''I waited for two hours for a bus to Pitampura, but to no avail.

Then, the one that came was so much overloaded, I just could not board it,'' said Mohan Prakash, an elderly person, who had to go for there for an appointment with a doctor.

Autorickshaws too charged exorbitant fares from passengers, complained a college student, in Chanakyapuri.

UNI