HC relief to bluelines, no phase out in south Delhi

Blueline bus operators on South Delhi routes breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as the Delhi High Court said the government's notification on the complete phase-out of Bluelines from Delhi will not apply to cluster 1. HT reports.

Blueline bus operators on South Delhi routes breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as the Delhi High Court said the government's notification on the complete phase-out of Bluelines from Delhi will not apply to cluster 1.

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The court said its March order allowing the Blueline operators to run their buses will hold till further orders and the October 27 notification will not apply to cluster 1.

The court's order means that 32 routes having 232 Blueline buses including bus no 522, 604, 469, 411, 544, 534, 512, 445, 536 and 604 will not be affected. The Blueline bus operators had moved court against the Delhi government's notification which had temporarily put on hold the plying of buses on the routes where the Commonwealth Games venues were situated.

The operators contended that they cooperated with the government during the Commonwealth Games and abided by its decision to temporarily hold the buses, but even after assurances given to them by transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, the buses are not allowed to operate. The government has not started any DTC buses on these routes as yet and commuters are suffering as there is no mode of transport available to them on many routes, member of the bus operators association Prem Vir Tewatia said.

Lovely said his department had yet to see the court orders. “We will only be able to comment once we see the orders,” he said.