The Hindu : New Delhi News : Volvo bus removed from Delhi-Lahore route

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Volvo bus removed from Delhi-Lahore route

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 3. In the wake of unfortunate incidents involving foreign and domestic tourists at the hands of some unscrupulous taxi drivers and greedy tourist guides recently, the Delhi Government has decided to streamline the transportation services from the airport to the city. The International Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has been roped in to bring about a sense of security and safety among tourists.

In another major development, the Delhi Government has decided not to run the luxurious modern Volvo bus on the Delhi-Lahore route in view of security concerns. Instead, these buses will now run on the Delhi-Katra and Delhi-Amritsar routes. The Volvo bus has modern features like in-built toilets, a coffee bar and refrigeration facilities. Officials have been informed that since the Delhi Transport Corporation drivers are not trained to drive these hi-tech buses, the Corporation would have to enrol the services of a private company for this job. However, the Pakistan Government has told its Indian counterpart that it would not be possible to give security clearance to the staff of the private company.

According to the Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Transport), Rajiv Talwar, the Delhi Government and the tour operators are working out a joint strategy to ensure that no individual or group of tourists is left at the mercy of unscrupulous elements at the Indira Gandhi International Airport or the Palam Domestic Terminal. The IATO has come forward with a proposal to start a shuttle bus service from the Central Tourism Reservation Office near Coffee Home on Baba Kharak Singh Marg to various destinations including hotels in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and some other places in the Capital. In addition, a leading hotel has offered to run a shuttle service from the Indira Gandhi International Airport to various star hotels in South Delhi for the benefit of tourists visiting Delhi. There is also a proposal to seek counters for such operators at the airport so that no tourist, domestic or international, are left at the mercy of the touts, operators or guides.

The Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) has already decided to run a regular luxury bus service between the two airports and the Central Tourism Reservation Office in the heart of the Capital. To begin with, at least three coaches would be put into service. Apart from this, there is also a proposal to eliminate all the dilapidated taxis from the airport and provide badges to the drivers in order to ensure their proper identity.

On the local front, the Delhi Government has already agreed in principle to the proposal for purchasing 200 new air-conditioned coaches for the city. In addition to this, another 100 non-air-conditioned would also be purchased by the DTC for running on local routes. The Government has already decided that all future replacements of private buses would be allowed only on the basis of certain specifications. The replacements of old buses should start within the next two years and the Government has made it clear that only modern buses would be allowed on Delhi roads. The present outdated models would not be registered in Delhi. The Transport Department would soon come out with a policy and the specifications in this connection in order to give adequate time to the private bus operators to make necessary changes in their strategy accordingly.

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