The government had sent a notification to bus operators, asking them to take all Blueline and Whiteline buses off NDMC areas during this period. Though they will be replaced with a new fleet of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, it is not known how much they will be of help.
Around 1,567 buses running on 142 routes will be stopped, affecting some of the most busy routes, including Mehrauli-Anand Vihar, Greater Kailash-New Delhi Railway Station, Badarpur Border-Minto Road, Kapashera Border-Mori Gate and Saket-Old Delhi Station.
While government officials said that the buses would be replaced with the DTC fleet, the frequency is likely to go down drastically. Of the 6,500 DTC buses, around 1,400 would cater to athletes, delegates and security personnel. In addition, another 1,200 buses will ply on special routes. Sources said about 10 per cent of the buses would be kept on standby for the convenience of athletes, delegates and volunteers. As a result, only 3,500 DTC and 500 Blueline buses will run on 360 routes during the Games.
Meanwhile, bus operators said they will comply with the notification as it involves projecting a good image of the Capital during the Games. They said the Bluelines and Whitelines will be back in business as soon as the event is done.
"The government could have shifted the Blueline and Whiteline buses from NDMC areas to other routes, instead of telling us to take all the buses off the roads. Though this will affect our livelihood directly, as the buses will be lying unused for around three weeks, we have decided to comply with the notification just because it involves the image of our country," said Shyamlal Gola, spokesperson, Delhi Bus Ekta Manch.
"When the Games was held in Melbourne, the authorities there augmented the public transport. But here, they have cut down on the services. We, however, don't have the time or patience to convince the authorities. We will definitely be back after the Games," he said
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