The Hindu : New Delhi News : No stopping Delhi’s killer buses

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Friday, Jul 20, 2007
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New Delhi

No stopping Delhi’s killer buses

Staff Reporter

Another day, another bus stop, another tragic death in the Capital

– PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

“STOP THE KILLERS”: A candlelight protest by concerned citizens in the Capital on Thursday to express their anguish over the Delhi Government’s failure to rein in Blueline buses.

NEW DELHI: Making a mockery of the Delhi Government’s much trumpeted efforts to rein them in, the killer Blueline buses continue to spill blood on the Capital’s roads, fatally knocking down yet another victim at Paschim Vihar here on Thursday.

Just a day after an Ayurvedic doctor was run over while waiting for a bus at Patparganj in East Delhi, a 53-year-old employee of the Public Works Department of the Haryana Government was mowed down by another rashly driven Blueline bus at Paschim Vihar on Thursday morning.

Already three persons have been killed so far this week by Blueline buses.

Darshan Jain, a resident of Sector 3 in Rohini, was waiting for a bus for Bahadurgarh near Peeragarhi Chowk around 8-30 on Thursday morning when a Blueline bus plying between Nangloi and Babarpur hit him from behind. Mr. Jain suffered serious head injuries. Passers-by rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Blueline driver Bir Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh who ran away from the scene after the accident, was arrested later in the day. A case of causing death due to rash and negligent driving has been registered against him.

Meanwhile, reaffirming the Government’s stand on the issue, Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf said the joint enforcement drive of the Delhi police and the State Transport Department would continue till the transport system in the Capital is streamlined. He said 3,338 buses had been checked by government agencies since July 9 and of these 242 were checked on Thursday. Also, a total of 327 buses have been impounded and 1,479 challans issued against 763 Blueline buses for various violations. ``The Transport Department has impounded 173 buses for tampering with speed governors and 154 buses for permit violations. On Thursday, 87 challans were issued to 44 Blueline buses for violating traffic regulations and 13 buses were impounded for tampering with speed governors and permit violations,” said Mr. Yusuf.

Meanwhile, residents’ welfare associations, non-government organisations and civil society activists organised a candlelight vigil at Jantar Mantar in the evening in memory of those who have lost their lives in road accidents involving Blueline buses. They were also protesting against “non-serious” attitude of the Delhi Government on the issue.

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