Delhi-UP bus service: HC to issue ‘appropriate directions’

During arguments on Wednesday,the High Court Bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog questioned Additional Solicitor General Rajeeve Mehra on why public transport had not been provided. After the ASG explained that any modifications would require secretary-level talks between the five states under the NCR,the court held that it would “issue appropriate directions.”

“Thousands of people have to take shared autos and other private vehicles,which are unsafe and fleece the public,because there is no public transport available.” Advocate T V George,who had filed the plea,said. He added that cases of robbery,pickpocketing and other crimes were also rampant in the area as commuters were forced to look for other means of transport once they got off the buses near the border.

Noting that the route would service a large number of commuters from Noida,Ghaziabad,Ghazipur and East Delhi,the plea had said the lack of public transport beyond the Delhi border was causing great inconvenience for the commuters. “All DTC buses on the NH24 route ply only till the UP border and then turn towards Anand Vihar,leaving daily commuters residing in the colonies on either side of the NH24 bypass at the mercy of auto-rickshaws,” the plea says.