DTC inducts 700 more buses following SC order

NEW DELHI, APRIL 2. The Delhi Government today pressed into service nearly 700 buses plying on inter-State routes to reinforce its fleet weakened by the withdrawal of eight-year-old buses on environmental grounds following the Supreme Court's order. ``There is no need for any panic as we have taken adequate measures to cope up with the situation arising out of the supreme court order,'' the Delhi Transport Minister, Mr. Pervez Hashmi, told PTI here.

Mr. Hashmi said besides this the Government would take on contract some 1,000 buses under its kilometre scheme to ease the situation.

``We have received more than 480 tenders till 4 p.m. today and we hope to get 1,000 private buses operational under km scheme by Monday and the situation to get normalised by Wednesday,'' he said.

The Minister said the buses which were off Delhi roads could be used on inter-State routes subject to their fitness. ``The decision will be taken after the emission report of these buses is given by the Surface Transport Ministry,'' he said.

The Supreme Court on March 31 refused to extend the April 1 deadline for scrapping of eight-year-old buses forcing the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to withdraw its ageing fleet.

A three-judge Bench, headed by the Chief Justice Mr. A. S. Anand, had expressed serious displeasure at the manner in which the DTC had gone about implementing the court's order and said, ``if you (DTC) close your shop for four days, you will come out with solutions to implement the court order''.

- PTI

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