Delhi-UP talks on plying buses have broken down, says minister

Transport Department files an affidavit in the Delhi HC listing the events since the crisis began, reports Amitabh Shukla.

Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf has said “talks have broken down” between the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments on the dispute over buses plying in each other’s states.

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Maintaining that there was “no meeting point” in the discussions, Yusuf alleged that “UP has adopted an intransigent approach. We do not know how to take the dialogue between the two states further,” as Delhi could never allow it to ferry its buses in the city.

On Thursday, the Transport Department filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court listing the events since the crisis began a month ago.

The UP government had then impounded Delhi Transport Corporation buses, insisting that they would be released only if Delhi allowed its state buses to ply in the city. The court is likely to take up the matter on December 18. Yusuf said UP “wants to ply around 250 buses from Noida and Greater Noida to 13 points across Delhi.” The Delhi government is willing to concede only three points: the three interstate bus terminuses. Following the High Court’s directions, the Delhi government agreed to the free passage of UP buses, running on compressed natural gas, to select filling stations near the state borders. The buses needed to be without passengers.

Meanwhile, chaos continues at the Anand Vihar bus terminus on the Delhi-UP border as inter-state DTC buses, bound for destinations in UP and Uttaranchal remain stranded.

A DTC official said the standoff was causing losses to both the DTC and the UP Road Transport Corporation.  Delhi government officials are now banking on the High Court for appropriate directions to settle the dispute.  

Email Amitabh Shukla: ashukla@hindustantimes.com