Transport minister reviews implementation of Delhi's bus-lane plan

NEW DELHI:  Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday inspected the public transport corridor between Ashram Chowk and Badarpur near Apollo Hospital and reviewed the implementation of the bus lane initiative – along with senior transport officials and enforcement staff on the ground. 

Delhi government had started an intensive enforcement drive for bus drivers and goods carriage vehicles on April 1 to enhance road safety, reduce congestion and improve bus service through greater passenger loads and improved trip services.

During the ongoing enforcement drive, the entire city DTC and cluster buses will continue to ply in the designated bus lanes only and halt at the designated bus stops. No other vehicle will stop/park in the bus lanes. However, auto-rickshaws, taxis, three-wheel goods and all private vehicles can pick and drop passengers at points which will be about 75 meters ahead of designated bus queue shelters (BQS). Any encroached parking on bus lanes will be deemed a violation of permit conditions/rules frame under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 as applicable.

The enforcement drive is currently going through its first phase of implementation where a 75 km of stretch (largely outer ring road and four more stretches) is intensively covered by enforcement teams backed with pick up cranes to remove temporary encroachments/parked/abandoned vehicles.

As of April 19, 85 vehicles have been lifted/towed for improper parking on bus lanes, 729 no parking challans issued against improper parking on the spot and 237 challans have been issued against the bus drivers.