Transport dept gets cracking on Blueline phaseout

With just three more days to go before the deadline given to the Blueline buses expires, the transport department has initiated the process for their "complete phaseout".

With just three more days to go before the deadline given to the Blueline buses expires, the transport department has initiated the process for their "complete phaseout".

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According to transport department officials, notices have been served to the Blueline operators to surrender their permits at the state transport authority’s office before January 31. Officials added that the enforcement department would launch a massive crackdown against Blueline buses found plying "illegally" on Delhi roads after January 31.

"The permits of most Blueline buses would expire by January 31. We have decided against renewing these permits again and have informed both the Delhi high court as well as individual Bleuline operators about our decision. We have enough buses in the DTC fleet to cater to Delhi commuters. Besides, private buses under the cluster scheme would also hit the roads very soon. We don’t want the Bluelines now," said a senior transport department official, requesting anonymity.

There were about 2,050 Blueline buses in Delhi when Delhi transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely had announced complete phaseout by January 31. While 1,212 have already been removed, senior officials said January 31 would be the last date for the remaining 840 buses. "To ensure that the commuters do not feel the pinch, the transport minister has called a meeting of senior DTC officials and bus depot managers on Saturday to chalk out a last-minute plan on how to tackle the issue," he said.