Crackdown on illegal buses in Delhi, over a thousand plying illegally impounded in June

The action comes after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, in a recent meeting, raised concerns over buses causing traffic bottlenecks around vital transport hubs.

More than a thousand buses have been seized by the Delhi government this month in what it claims to be the biggest crackdown on private buses plying illegally on city roads.

From just 212 buses in May, the state transport department has impounded 1,048 illegal buses in June alone. (Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO)

From just 212 buses in May, the state transport department has impounded 1,048 illegal buses in June alone. “June’s crackdown has been the biggest so far. In April, 367 buses were seized, which is the second highest. Till now, we have impounded a total of 1,872 buses this year,” a transport official said.

The action comes after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, in a recent meeting, raised concerns over buses causing traffic bottlenecks around vital transport hubs.

Besides, the department is also looking forward to taking action against online bus booking operators, who issue tickets for such buses.

“We are going to issue a notice to a few companies that are running this online bus-booking business. This year, 897 buses with UP registration, 642 with Rajasthan’s, 121 with that of Delhi’s and 212 of other states have been seized so far,” the official added.

“These buses used to pick passengers from places like Majnu Ka Tila, Mori Gate, Red Fort, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan. Passengers are not able to differentiate between a legal and an illegal bus, which often becomes a safety concern, especially for women,” said KK Dahiya, special commissioner (transport).

Apart from being a security concern, these buses are a threat to environment as they run on diesel.

With the onset of the crackdown, enforcement officers claimed that the bus operators are now changing their modus operandi.

“These drivers used to pick up passengers from near a petrol pump opposite Anand Vihar Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT). After the crackdown, they have shifted base to UP border. Similarly, instead of Majnu Ka Tila, they are now boarding passengers from other spots nearby,” Dahiya said.

While the department has posted an enforcement inspector at each ISBT for challaning such buses, it is also going to write to the neighbouring states to cancel permits of the seized buses, in order to prevent commuters from taking such buses.