More autos on roads, bluelines off

Phase-outs , launches, accidents and autos — the year 2011 was eventful for the transport sector. While the courts allowed the addition of 45,000 more autorickshaws to the city's streets, they refused to extend the phase-out of Blueline buses, except those with valid permits. In January, the private buses — referred to as "killer" Bluelines — were taken off the roads.Only 200-odd buses were allowed to ply in some pockets of the city.
However, the transition wasn't smooth. As the Bluelines went off roads, DTC added more buses to its fleet. But it couldn't cope with lakhs of commuters using the public transport system daily. The government's inability to launch the bus cluster service for more than five months after the phaseout threatened to undo all the good. The cluster was finally launched in May with 50 buses on two routes. Later, the service was augmented to 165 buses — a paltry number to cater to the two million who travel by bus everyday.
The DTC fleet was increased to 5,200 buses. But it hasn't made much of a difference , considering the DTC is accountable for only 40% of the public transport system in Delhi, as per the cluster scheme. DIMTS, which operates the cluster buses, has only managed to run buses on five routes so far, with the third cluster yet to take off. The delay led to an increase in DTC's revenue, which touched Rs 100 crore in 2011, a first for the agency. The year also saw a two-fold rise in the number of accidents involving DTC buses. Later in the year, prodded by the courts, DTC started work on the high security registration plate scheme with a deadline of December 31. It hiked the rates of pollution under control certificates, adding a security hologram and airconditioned PUC centres.
The transport department took the driving license system online and mooted the idea of GPS in autorickshaws. The latter saw stiff opposition from the three-wheeler scooter rickshaw (TSR) unions. After marathon meetings, the government brought down the price of GPS devices and even talked about subsidy for some TSR drivers. The matter still remains inconclusive.
Perhaps the biggest event for the transport sector in 2011 was the court's nod to more TSRs in Delhi. After almost a decade, the Supreme Court allowed a relaxation in the cap on TSRs, allowing the government to hand out 45,000 more permits, with the window open for more in the future. Hoping to deal a deathblow to the auto mafia, the court's decision has paved the way for a better regulated para-transit system in Delhi.