Another Blueline victim, fitness test enters last lap

Despite Delhi Govt's “farcical” special drive to check the fitness of Blueline buses to be concluded on Sunday, the killing spree of Bluelines continue, report Sidhartha Roy and Abhishek Bhalla.

The Delhi government’s “farcical” special drive to check the fitness of Blueline buses will conclude on Sunday. The killing spree of the Bluelines, however, continues unabated.

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On Saturday, a Blueline bus mowed down a person at Azadpur in north-west Delhi, injuring him critically. The victim, 25-year-old Rajiv Ranjan, is in Hindu Rao Hospital.

The police said Ranjan had boarded the wrong bus and was trying to get off when he lost his balance and fell. His legs came under the rear wheels of the bus plying from Jehangirpuri to Nizamuddin.

In the past 24 hours, two Blueline victims succumbed to injuries. With this the number of people killed by Blueline buses this year has increased to 66, of which 10 people have died in July itself.

The government’s fitness drive has turned out to be a charade.

“We are checking vehicles for fitness but what is the surety that bus owners and drivers will not tamper with the speed governors after they get the fitness stickers? The check is only for the vehicle. Who will rein in the drivers who are the main culprits?” he asked.

Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf does not agree that the drive is an eyewash. “Bus owners did not maintain the buses. Now the condition of buses is much improved, thanks to the drive. We are checking speed governors too and the enforcement drive against Bluelines on the roads is on,” he said.

Phase out plans

As part of its plan to phase out the Bluelines, the government held a pre-bid conference with 32 private players interested in running bus services in the capital on Saturday.