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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, December 21: The new Transport Minister of Delhi, Parvez Hashmi, made his first set of promises to Delhiites this morning. On top of his priority list is a set of deluxe buses which will ply on the Capital’s roads during peak office hours by March 1999. Under the new scheme, the minister hopes to dissuade people from using private vehicles while commuting to their workplace. The alternative he is offering will cost the commuter a little more than the existing fares (Rs 7-10 in Whitelines and chartered buses). But Hashmi promises that the new buses will be worth it.
The minister says his plans for the city will streamline the transport channels like never before. Even as the financial aspect is being finalised, he has promised Delhiites some relief from the chaotic traffic by March next year.
His target is to get a fleet of 8,000 buses on the roads by the end of the next financial year. These will be developed under the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) km scheme and the State Transport Authority (STA) permit scheme. “No new permits will be given to Blueline operators, but the existing fleet will be strengthened,” Hashmi says. “Old, run-down buses will be replaced and 500 new buses of excellent quality will be introduced by March 1999. These buses will include the deluxe buses.”
At the end of it, after the old buses have been removed and the new ones introduced, Hashmi thinks that the transport department will be left with 3,000-odd DTC buses with an average age of not more than six to seven years.
In addition, there will be 500 buses running under the km scheme and another 2,500 private buses plying with an STA permit.
The bottomline, of course, is revenue. Any route not bringing in profits will be discontinued. Hashmi explains: “The government is paying Rs 10 per km to private operators under the km scheme besides deputing two to three conductors and supervisors, who are paid by the DTC. If the buses bring in less than Rs 10 per km there is no reason why these should continue to run.”
All new routes will also be introduced subject to earnings. The minimum earning for a DTC bus should be Rs 7 per km and in case of private buses, Rs 10.50 per km. On the traffic management front, the minister says that any bus involved in an accident will be impounded. “In case a Blueline is involved, the permit will be cancelled. There will also be flying squads on the roads to ensure that rules are followed and there are no cases of eve-teasing or other violations,” Hashmi clarifies. The money allocated to the previous BJP government to fulfill similar promises was frozen after there were reports about it not being utilised properly.
