The Hindu : New Delhi News : 1,600 Blueline buses go off the roads, commuters face hardship

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Monday, Sep 27, 2010
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New Delhi

New Delhi

1,600 Blueline buses go off the roads, commuters face hardship

New Delhi: Commuters in several areas of the Capital had a harrowing time on Sunday as over 1,600 Blueline buses were shunted out by the Delhi Government to improve the image of the city ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

The buses were kept off the roads from areas around the Games venues and localities expected to be frequented by athletes, officials and visitors of the mega event.

“There were very few DTC buses and in the absence of Blueline buses, unoccupied autos were hard to come by. I waited for almost 40 minutes at a bus stop and finally got an auto to go to Parliament Street,” said Sarmistha Dasgupta, a resident of Bhogal area.

Transport department officials claimed they deployed additional low-floor buses in areas where Blueline buses have been removed.

Long wait

“I had to wait for almost 45 minutes for a bus to go to Connaught Place. It was really a harrowing experience,” said Sandeep Sodhi, a resident of Laxmi Nagar.

Transport Department officials said some Blueline buses were allowed to ply on alternative routes while movement of some others were restricted to designated points.

Currently, nearly 2,400 Blueline buses are operating in over 600 routes in the Capital. The government had earlier said the Blueline buses will be phased out before the Games. - PTI

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