Blueline operators now start a helpline

The Blueline operators have started a helpline where commuters can report against erring drivers and other bus staff, report Amitabh Shukla and Sidhartha Roy.

Angry with the way Blueline buses run recklessly on the roads, overspeed, kill and maim? Well, now you have a helpline where you can call and register your complaint. The friendly voice on the other end, however, would be that of a Blueline bus operator.

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The Blueline operators have started a helpline — 011-23860549 — where commuters can report against erring drivers and other bus staff. The number has three lines and would be manned by the operators themselves. "If we fail to take action, the complaint would be forwarded to the Transport Department," said Shyam Lal Gola of Delhi Bus Ekta Manch.

A number of self-regulatory measures are included in the draft code of conduct which the Federation of Delhi Bus Operators submitted to the Delhi government on Wednesday. The buses — which have killed almost 100 people this year — will from now on stop overtaking, won't stop in the middle of the road, install speed governors and follow all traffic rules, promises the draft.

To be able to do all this, the operators want separate bus lanes, an end to harassment by the traffic police and permission to hire drivers from outside Delhi. Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf said that the government would consider the suggestions with an "open mind".