The Hindu : New Delhi News : Capital will have to wait some more for killer buses to go

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Capital will have to wait some more for killer buses to go

Staff Reporter

New blueprint submitted by Delhi Govt. to Court sets mid-2009 deadline

HERE TO STAY: The Capital would now have to live some more with killer Blueline buses like this one here that left seven persons dead on a Sunday morning recently.

NEW DELHI: From June 2009, the Capital hopefully will have a new-look passenger-friendly public transport system with all buses equipped with electronic gadgets for safe driving, passengers’ comfort and tracking devices, thus making travel a whole new experience.

The new fleet will be operated by corporate and cooperative organisations under the integrated management of a Delhi Government company. The two entities will run buses on all existing routes that will be grouped in different clusters, and no operator will be allotted more than one cluster.

These highlights of the new transport system are featured in the blueprint prepared by the Delhi Government for phasing out the current fleet of Blueline buses as directed by the High Court. The direction followed a huge public outcry over the unabated run of accidents involving the killer Bluelines that have claimed more than a hundred lives so far this year.

The Delhi Government filed a copy of the blueprint in the High Court on Thursday for its approval. A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Reva Khetrapal took the paper on record and fixed November 19 for its consideration.

The new buses would have a common colour code, brand and logo and would be equipped with vehicle tracking and passenger information systems, devices to identity the bus staff, and gadgets to register the number of tickets issued, says the blueprint. The bus staff will also be imparted behavioural training.

The blueprint envisages a common ticketing system between the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the Delhi Transport Corporation, the private state carriage buses and other modes of transport at the earliest.

The performance of these buses will be measured on the parameters of rates and types of accidents, adherence to the speed limit measured by the location data, halts at specified stops and their time to be monitored by the location control system.

Violation of any of the parameters will attract a monetary penalty on the operating companies and the fine will be deducted from the payments due to them.

The blueprint proposes to phase out the bulk of the Blueline buses by June 2009, subject to availability of buses under the new system.

The phasing out of the Blueline fleet will take place under the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, a Delhi Government company. The new operators will also run their service under this company.

However, the blueprint also provides scope for individual Blueline bus operators to float companies and bid for the new transport system by providing for inclusion of their three-year-old buses in it.

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