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[aryan]

NEW DELHI: The "killer" Blueline buses may get a new lease of life despite the Delhi government's assurances to phase-out the fleet. Officials in the transport department say that a proposal to allow the Blueline buses to ply as Metro feeder service is under consideration. If the proposal is accepted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the department would allow Blueline operators to ply on the feeder service routes, claim officials.

Incidentally, the government had earlier promised to phase-out Blueline buses from Delhi roads "completely" by January 31, 2011, and instead introduce the first bus cluster from south Delhi. However, if the proposal to use these Blueline buses as Metro feeder services goes through, it could prove to be the reprieve the bus operators were looking for. Admitted a senior transport official, "We are considering a proposal to allow the Blueline buses to ply as Metro feeder service. We have to take opinion of the Delhi Metro before finalizing it." DMRC, meanwhile, said it had received no such proposal yet. Said a DMRC spokesperson, "Until we get the proposal, we cannot comment on the issue."

The DMRC runs 120 feeder buses on 15 routes and has a ridership of 35,000. However, it has been unable to effectively run the feeder service due to financial constraints as well as paucity of contractors. The official said if Blueline buses are put on feeder bus service then DMRC will be able to offer the service at almost all its stations and transport department will make sure that properly trained personnel are employed.

In December 2010, the government had shunted 823 Blueline buses, out of a total of 2,052, as part of efforts to streamline the public transport system in the city. To ensure that commuters have options, it has procured 4,000 low-floor swanky buses, a mix of both air conditioned and non-air conditioned vehicles. Also, from later this week, it plans to launch the first bus cluster from south Delhi. Transport department officials said M/s Star Bus, which has been awarded the first cluster, will begin operations with 50 low-floor swanky buses in the area. While non-AC buses will be orange, the AC ones will be purple in colour. "The cluster service will be launched this week. It will significantly improve the transport services for the commuters," confirmed transport minister Arvinder Singh.

Delhi government in 2009 had divided nearly 650 bus routes across the city into 17 clusters, each comprising profitable and non-profitable routes and decided to give each cluster to a private operator. Three corporate entities have already been given contract to operate the service in five clusters and transport department officials said they are expecting a fleet size of around 800 buses under first five clusters by the middle of this year.