By IANS
New Delhi : Voicing the public distrust of the capital's 'killer' Blueline buses, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday said she would rather walk than travel in the privately-operated Bluelines – the comment coming on a day the Delhi High Court asked the city government to explain the increasing number of fatal accidents involving the buses.
"I would like walking rather than taking a Blueline," Dikshit told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
"We are taking a number of measures to tame these privately run buses. Soon we will advertise to invite interested parties for corporatisation of bus operations in the city," the chief minister said.
Earlier in the day, a division bench of Justice Mukul Mudgal took suo motu cognisance of newspaper reports and asked the government to file its reply by July 31. In view of the number of accidents involving Blueline buses, the court also asked why the private bus service could not be closed down.
Minister Dikshit has announced that the 4,200-odd Blueline buses would be phased out by 2010.
Intensifying its drive against Bluelines, the government Tuesday impounded at least 100 of them and fined many more.
Bluelines have killed 61 people so far this year and injured at least 144. In the last nine days, the buses mowed down five people, including two teenagers. The state-run Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses too have been responsible for 25 deaths till the end of June.
"We have cancelled the permits of at least 100 Blueline buses and punched the license of scores of drivers (for traffic violations) today," said a transport ministry official.
"After a cabinet meeting, the Delhi government has also decided to provide permits to Blueline buses only for six months. Earlier, the permits were for nearly five years but from now they have to renew the permits after six months," the official said.
Between July 1 and July 7, a total of 4,090 Blueline buses were prosecuted and 60 drivers arrested. Till June 30, these buses were fined for at least 53,093 times.
In the latest accident, a Blueline bus on Route No.764 hit a motorcyclist from behind near the Delhi cantonment area late Monday. The victim, Sudhir, died on way to hospital.