The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi-U.P. bus service resumes

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Sunday, May 20, 2007
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Delhi-U.P. bus service resumes

Staff Reporter

Transport Ministers of both States flag off bus to Bulandshahr

Photo: Anu Pushkarna

`HERE WE GO': Delhi's Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf seen during the flagging off ceremony of resumption of bus service between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, at Anand Vihar ISBT in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Ramchal Rajbhar on Saturday flagged off a Delhi Transport Corporation bus at the Anand Vihar Inter-State Bus Terminus here for Bulandshahr in UP to mark resumption of bus services between the two States. The services had been suspended last November following a dispute between the Congress-led Government in Delhi and the then Samajwadi Party-led Government in U.P. over plying of latter's buses on Delhi's routes.

Following the flag-off, Mr. Yusuf said that henceforth commuters would not face any problem in travelling from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh and vice versa. He said while the bus services have been restored fully, the formal agreement to the effect would be prepared and notified in about a month.

However, that would in no way affect operations between the two States.

Mr. Rajbhar, for whom this was the first major assignment on taking over as Transport Minister in the newly installed Mayawati Government, said the two sides had decided to act quickly in public interest and now there were no issues that could affect the operation of buses between the two States.

The resumption of services has come as a major relief for a great many passengers who during the past seven months had to walk the distance between Anand Vihar ISBT in Delhi and Kaushambi bus stand in neighbouring Ghaziabad to change the buses. Now they would be able to cross the borders with great ease since DTC buses would ply on all the allotted inter-State routes and operate full services to the satellite townships of Noida and Ghaziabad.

On the other hand, the U.P. buses would be able to travel up to the three ISBTs at Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan and Kashmere Gate in Delhi. They will also be allowed to travel to Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations.

In the resolution of the seven-month-old dispute, U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati played a key role as she directed her officials to engage in direct talks with Delhi to resolve the matter. As such, a letter sent by Delhi Principal Secretary (Transport) Chandra Mohan to U.P. met with a quick response and his counterpart Pradeep Shukla led a five-member delegation to Delhi on Thursday.

Following the meeting, Mr. Yusuf had announced that the talks had been "positive'' and the officials had expressed confidence that the operations would resume in a week.

However, things moved faster than expected and as soon as Mr Rajbhar's portfolio was announced, Mr. Yusuf declared on Friday that he would be coming to Delhi for resumption of the service.

The Delhi Minister also minced no words in accusing the previous Samajwadi Party Government of causing inconvenience to the public by insisting that U.P. be allowed to operate on Delhi's city routes. He said such a stance would have been unacceptable to any government.

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