New Delhi,(IANS) Even as the city was overcoming the shock of seven deaths caused by a Blueline city bus, two more of these “killer” buses mowed two persons in separate accidents Tuesday. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, reacting to public outrage over the rising fatalities, passed the onus of managing these privately-owned city buses to the city police.
On Tuesday, two young men were killed by Bluelines – Sunil Kumar, 24, was crushed to death in Ambedkar Nagar, while Rajiv Kumar Shukla, 23, was run over near Sector 18 of Noida, a suburb of Delhi.
Late Tuesday evening, the Blueline menace struck again. A young man was knocked down and seriously injured in Narela in northwest Delhi by a Blueline, plying on route no. 175. The driver and conductor fled from the spot, while the injured was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital nearby.
With Tuesday’s deaths, the Blueline toll went up to 96 this year.
To queries by reporters on the rampaging Bluelines, the Delhi chief minister said: “All over the world, the traffic management is the responsibility of the police. Don’t blame me for the ongoing crisis. Let them (police) manage the situation.”
Dikshit’s statement comes a day after she stated that she was feeling too “pressurised” by the Blueline crisis. “We are concerned over the issue. Every one is asking me about the problem, but no one is suggesting a solution. Please don’t pressurise me over the Blueline bus problem,” Dikshit said Monday.
Dikshit said Tuesday that her government was preparing a report as directed by the Delhi High Court to phase out the privately-owned Bluelines and would present it before the government on Thursday.
The transport ministry has, meanwhile, sent notices to at least 3,000 bus owners to furnish affidavits on their ownership of buses and what action they have taken to rein in their errant drivers.
Reacting to the statement of Dikshit, the Delhi Police authorities said they were doing their best with their limited resources.
“We don’t want to comment on her statement but we are trying our best within our limited resources. Even our traffic police strength has not gone up in the last one decade,” Joint Commissioner of Police Qamar Ahmed told IANS.
“We will leave no stone unturned on the issue (controlling Blueline menace). On Tuesday we impounded 92 Blueline buses and arrested several errant drivers,” he said.
Tuesday’s accidents come close on the heels of Sunday’s mishap that left seven persons dead and eight others injured by a Blueline bus.
Sunil Kumar was crushed under the wheels of a Blueline bus plying on Route No. 427 between Mehrauli and Nizamuddin railway station while he was crossing the road near a traffic signal in Ambedkar Nagar. The accident took place opposite Pushp Vihar Bhavan around 2.30 p.m.
The other victim, Shukla, a resident of Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi, died on the spot after being crushed under a Blueline bus plying on route no 33 between Bhajanpura and Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi.
The accident sparked mob fury in Noida. The driver and the conductor fled the spot and the police managed to dissuade the mob from torching the bus.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Noida) A. Satish Ganesh told IANS that a drive was launched against law-flouting Blueline buses in the suburb.
“We have increased the traffic police strength which will keep a strict vigil over Blueline buses entering Noida. Permits and licences of the drivers will be inspected minutely,” he said.
On Tuesday, the capital city witnessed protests in many parts.
Citizens’ groups staged demonstrations in west Delhi’s Raja Garden area, demanding the resignation of Dikshit. At the busy ITO intersection, Bharatiya Janata Party Youth wing activists and the public blocked traffic, demanding immediate action from the state government. They also demanded that Dikshit and Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf step down.
Holding placards and shouting slogans, the protesters burnt the effigies of the chief minister and transport minister.
“The government has gone blind. Nearly 100 people have been crushed to death under Blueline buses this year. How many more innocent people does the government want to be killed?” asked Paramjeet Kaur, a protester.
Delhi’s Lt. Governor Tajender Khanna had said that serving army personnel would be employed as traffic wardens to enforce traffic discipline among the drivers in Delhi. The traffic warden scheme would be formally launched Wednesday.