The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bus war between Delhi, U.P. intensifies

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Saturday, Nov 18, 2006
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Bus war between Delhi, U.P. intensifies

Staff Reporter

Uttar Pradesh impounds over 100 DTC buses; transport crisis in neighbouring townships likely

NEW DELHI: With the Uttar Pradesh authorities not allowing Delhi Transport Corporation buses into the State on Friday, a major transport crisis awaits the residents of the neighbouring townships of Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. Without any notice, the U.P. authorities impounded 105 DTC buses including a large number of school buses. Of these, 23 buses were seized in Noida, 18 in Bulandshahr and 17 in Ghaziabad.

The action came barely hours after U.P. Transport Minister Naresh Agrawal had on his return from Delhi declared in Lucknow on Thursday night that since the Delhi Government had violated the agreement between the two States and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit -- who had refused to meet him -- wanted to settle the issue at the official level, Uttar Pradesh had also "set its officials free to deal with the situation". He had declared that action would be taken against DTC buses found "plying illegally" in the State under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Reacting angrily to the developments on Friday, Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf warned that Delhi would suspend all its operations to U.P. He said there was very little that could be done as his U.P. counterpart had openly declared that he would speak only to the Prime Minister now.

"They want to politicise the whole issue. First it was the issue of release of water for the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant and now this issue of operating U.P. buses in Delhi has been raised. They want to play the same political game and that is why they have stopped only DTC buses and not the private buses of Delhi."

As for the operations to Noida, Mr. Yusuf said the DTC had not been earning profit through it.

"The operations to Noida began 25 years ago after the then U.P. Chief Minister V.P. Singh wrote to the DTC to start buses to the upcoming industrial area to ensure its growth."

"But now that U.P. is not allowing DTC buses," Mr. Yusuf said, "it would operate its services up to the border to facilitate movement of people to these satellite townships. We will go up to Noida and turn from there."

On whether Mr. Agrawal had been offended, Mr. Yusuf said the Delhi Government had not insulted him. "Mr Agrawal had come to Delhi without seeking appointment with Chief Minister or without disclosing the agenda for the meeting."

The recent controversy erupted after U.P. launched a new bus service -- with 150 ordinary and 75 air-conditioned CNG buses -- for Delhi without even taking Delhi's consent.

The two States had signed a MoU in 1985 for 15 years which was later extended for another two years.

Since then, the two States have not been able to reach an agreement despite several meetings of their officials.

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