Now, permits with validity stickers on Blueline buses

In yet another attempt to put an end to the menace of Blueline buses in the Capital, the transport department has decided to issue permit validity stickers to the 264 Blueline buses with valid permits still plying on city roads.

In yet another attempt to put an end to the menace of Blueline buses in the Capital, the transport department has decided to issue permit validity stickers to the 264 Blueline buses with valid permits still plying on city roads.

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The move follows the failure to stop Blueline buses with forged or expired permits from operating on city roads. The buses will have to display these stickers — equipped with holograms — from August 1 on their front windscreens.

After largely phasing-out most of the 2,000-odd Blueline buses on December 15, 2010, only a few hundred were authorised to ply on city roads till their permits expired. Officially, the number of buses reduced, while in reality, the number kept increasing. Many of them had forged or expired permits.

Delhi Police have prosecuted about 10 such Blueline buses this year. “The forged permits look original and we had to get their authenticity checked. This tedious process, however, failed to put a stop to the menace of Blueline buses,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

Recently, Delhi Police cracked a unique case of permit violation, in which a Blueline bus operator had two permits in his possession. To deal with the matter, the traffic police have urged the transport department to share a complete database of authentic Blueline buses and set up a mechanism, so that unauthorised plying of such buses can be checked.

Yashpal Garg, additional commissioner-cum-secretary, transport department said, “With effect from August 1, no local stage carriage would be allowed to ply in Delhi without sticker. The particulars mentioned on the sticker — bus number, permit number and validity details — can be verified by the traffic police through the permit available with the driver.”