Over 100 Blueline buses impounded in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Intensifying its drive against the privately operated Blueline buses, the Delhi government on Tuesday impounded at least 100 of them in the national capital.

The "killer" buses have killed 60 people so far this year. In the last nine days, they mowed down five people, including two teenagers.

"We have cancelled the permits of at least 100 Blueline buses and punched the license of scores of drivers today," said a transport ministry official.

"After a cabinet meeting, the Delhi government has also decided to provide permits to Blueline buses only for six months. Earlier, the permits were for nearly five years but from now they have to renew the permits after six months," the official said.

So far the government has impounded over 850 Blueline buses. Delhi has about 4,200 Blueline buses, complementing those run by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

In the latest accident, a Blueline bus on route No.764 hit a motorcyclist from behind in the area between Delhi cantonment and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport Monday evening. The victim Sudhir died on his way to hospital.

The driver and conductor of the bus were still absconding.

After a meeting with Delhi Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna, transport minister Haroon Yusuf had said Monday that the government has asked Blueline bus drivers to obtain fresh driving training certificates before they could drive on the city's roads.

"They need to take fresh training from the driving training institute and those who fail will not be given permission to drive," he had said.

Nearly 8,000 bus drivers would have to go in for fresh training within 15 days.