By IANS
New Delhi : Coming down severely on Blueline buses for the large number of accidents on the capital’s roads, the Delhi High Court has enhanced the compensation to the family of a Blueline victim while noting that no amount of money can fill the void created by such deaths.
Justice Kailash Gambhir, while enhancing the compensation to the parents of a 21-year-old youth who was killed in a road accident nine years ago, noted that the rise in accidents was due to the rash and negligent driving by Blueline bus drivers.
“These killer buses have played havoc on the roads and every precious life gets sacrificed because of their rash and negligent driving.
“As per the recent data released by Delhi Police, a total of 8,270 accidents had occurred in the capital in the year 2006, in which 2,050 people were killed,” the bench said Wednesday.
Last year, the court had asked the central government to upgrade the compensation in keeping with the current cost of living. The Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) act had not been updated since 1994.
“The cost of living index must have gone up after so many years. So get us the figures first and update them in the Motor Vehicle Act and then we will pass any order on the compensation,” said the court.
The bench while passing strict strictures against Blueline owners also warned that the compensation would largely be dependent on the cost of living index.
The capital has over 4,000 Blueline buses, which form a crucial part of the city’s public transport system.