NEW DELHI: In a bid to prevent congestion and pollution, Delhi's transport infrastructure development agency has banned picking up of passengers by buses at the exit gates of interstate bus terminals (ISBT) in the city, imposing a Rs 1,000 fine for a violation of the ban.
The chairman of Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) recently visited the Anand Vihar ISBT and found many drivers stop buses at exit gate of the terminal and pick up passengers.
It congested the passage and obstructed buses besides causing pollution due to running engines, said a Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) official.
"In view of this, the picking up of passengers near exit gate of the ISBTs has been strictly prohibited. A penalty of Rs 1,000 will be imposed on the drivers found violating this directive," said the officer.
The passengers will be picked up from the bus bays only and not from any other place at the terminals, he said.
In the recent past, the DTIDC has taken steps to check air and noise pollution at the three ISBTs at Anand Vihar, Kashmere Gate and Saray Kale Khan in the city.
It has imposed a fine of Rs 500 on honking and Rs 100 on shouting by bus staff to solicit passengers at the bus terminals.
The transport department's enforcement wing has set up a mobile pollution testing machine at the Kashmere Gate ISBT to check the buses arriving from different states, for pollution under check(PUC) norms.