HC questions proposal to bring back Bluelines

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the state government's plan to bring back the phased out killer blueline buses by giving them alternate routes in outer Delhi. Harish V Nair reports.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the state government's plan to bring back the phased out killer blueline buses by giving them alternate routes in outer Delhi.

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The transport department worked out a policy in September last year to rehabilitate nearly 1,500 blueline operators who had surrendered their permits when the government had announced its plan to phase out such buses.

A bench of acting chief justice BD Ahmed and justice Vibhu Bakhru wondered how the government could bring them back even in a different avatar after seeking their removal for being involved in a large number of accidents. The court also asked the Delhi government to file before it the existing public transport policy and the suitable number of buses required for the city in the current scenario.

The court has not taken a final decision. It said it will examine the issue on July 25.

The bench asked the government to submit the new permit condition for those who will be given fresh routes and wanted to know how different it is from the old permit conditions. Kailash Vasudev, who is the amicus curiae in the case (senior lawyer assisting the court on an issue) opposed the government plan saying the conduct of the blueline drivers would be worse as there is "no proper policing in outer Delhi".

"I am opposing the rehabilitation plan. Were they not removed from the Capital as they were indisciplined, rash and killed innocent pedestrians. What is the guarantee that they will not repeat the act in the alternate routes," Vasudev said.

The transport department has chalked out 97 new routes on which 1,532 new buses will be allowed to run. These routes are different from the 657 routes on which the DTC and the private cluster buses operate. The government plans to connect areas developed in the past 10 years such as Dwarka, Rohini, Jasola, Vasant Kunj and Narela.