Hearing on operators8217; plea adjourned

NEW DELHI, June 22: The Delhi High Court today adjourned the hearing on a petition by Blueline bus operators challenging the Delhi government8217;s decision to nationalise public bus transport in the Capital as the government failed to file its reply to the notice.

A division bench comprising Justice K. Ramamoorthy and Justice C.K. Mahajan deferred the hearing till July 8 while asking the petitioner8217;s counsel Rani Chabra to move the State Transport Authority STA to ensure adequate arrangements to meet the shortfall of buses for public transport.Earlier on June 19 a vacation bench comprising Justice S.K. Mahajan and Justice Mukul Mudgal had asked the government to state by Monday its plan to augment public transport system as over 3,000 Blueline buses had stopped plying.

Petitioners alleged that government had embarked upon the new scheme without taking into account practical problems like proper bus service for the city.

The court had further asked how many buses were available with the government for them to start the scheme and whether it was contemplating issuing licences to private bus operators to augment the fleet of buses.

Chabra said the operators as well as the public were suffering because of the arbitrary decision of the government which was arrived at without taking into account an objective opinion.