By IANS
New Delhi : A college student and a cyclist were the latest victims of killer Blueline buses in the capital Monday, taking the death toll to 106 so far.
An unidentified cyclist was crushed to death by a Blueline near Akshardham temple in east Delhi Monday evening. The bus was plying on Route No 534 between Safdarjung and Anand Vihar.
The victim, who was in his 40s, was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Police are searching for the absconding bus driver.
Earlier in the day, Pearl Gupta, a first year student of Aditi College in Bawana, was killed when a Blueline bus ran over her outside the college at around 11.25 a.m. The bus was running on Route No 106 between Bawana and Delhi railway station.
Police said Pearl, her classmate Parul and their friend were getting down from a Delhi Transport Corp (DTC) bus near their college bus stand when a speeding motorcycle hit them.
While the other two fell on the pavement, Pearl fell on the road and was run over by the Blueline bus whose driver failed to step on the brakes in time.
All three were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Pearl brought dead. Parul and her unidentified friend are recuperating from minor injuries.
Following the accident, around 500 angry students smashed the windows of the bus till police arrived and stopped them. The driver had managed to flee the spot.
The students also blocked traffic on the road for at least an hour.
“How many people does the government want to be killed under the wheels of these killer buses?” asked Pearl’s father S.K Gupta.
“Please take them (Blueline buses) off the roads immediately,” a teary-eyed Gupta pleaded with folded hands.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer Delhi) Sagar Preet Hooda told IANS that police teams had been sent to arrest the bus driver.
The more than 4,000-strong Blueline bus fleet, which forms a crucial part of Delhi’s public transport system, is also responsible for injuries to more than 160 people this year. The authorities have announced plans to phase out the buses and introduce a more professionally-run service.
In a separate incident, a girl died and 11 other passengers were injured when the Haryana Roadways bus they were in was hit by a truck in Mukundpur, north Delhi, early Monday.
Police said the accident occurred as the speeding truck hit the bus from behind — probably due to fog. The bus was carrying at least 30 passengers. The truck driver was absconding.
The injured were admitted to the nearby Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital and Trauma Centre.