Date:26/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/26/stories/2007102663720300.htm

New Delhi

Status report on Blueline buses filed

Staff Reporter

No comment on politicians, cops owning buses

‘Impounded Blueline buses to be released by High Court only’
Senior level cop to probe into subletting allegations

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Government informed the High Court on Thursday that it had issued a public notice directing all Blueline bus owners and drivers to comply with the direction that buses impounded for their involvement in fatal accidents would be released only by the High Court.

As for the order to enquire into allegations of subletting of Blueline buses, the Government said it had decided to depute an Additional Commissioner of Police (Anti-Corruption Branch) of the Delhi Police to probe the allegation.

The Government provided these facts to the Court in a status report. It filed the report in response to a set of queries the Court had put before it during the last hearing following the death of seven persons in an accident involving a Blueline in the Badarpur area in South Delhi on October 8.

However, the status report was silent on the Court’s query about politicians and police officers owning Blueline buses. The Court asked the Government to provide it the names of politicians and police officers who own Blueline buses following media reports that the authorities were not taking action against the errant drivers because the vehicles were owned by powerful political leaders and police officers.

At the last hearing also, the Government had failed to submit the names of these politicians and police officers.

The Delhi Government report said it had also brought out advertisements in newspapers directing the drivers of all call centres’ vehicles to strictly comply with the speed limit of 40 kmph. In case of violation, the vehicles would be impounded. The traffic police would start impounding or detaining these vehicles from the first week of next month in case of violation of the speed limit, the report said.

It said all buses plying in the city would be fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) to keep track of their movement.

As for the order for replacement of impounded buses, the report said the Government had directed the Transport Department to replace the impounded buses by suspending inter-State operations till the buses were released by the Court.

Taking suo motu note of the increase in the number of accidents involving Blueline buses, the Court has been hearing the matter for the past three months.