No specified routes yet for CNG buses

new delhi: it's been more than a month now, since the transport department has been working on specific routes for private cng buses. at present, there is near-anarchy on the delhi roads as some routes are highly congested, while others remain orphaned. city transport minister parvez hashmi had said on october 15 that free routes in the stage carriage (bluelines) would be given to the new cng buses. on monday, the routes were far from reality. "the state transport authority in coordination with dtc had identified the routes. the scheme for restructuring of the routes has been sent by the sta," a transport official. according to official sources, the transport minister is yet to grant approval to the scheme. some of the lucrative routes in the city are flooded with cng buses. "the buses, going to central secretariat, connaught place and ito from various parts are regarded as plum routes. on saturdays and sundays, those bound for such office areas are diverted to the railway stations and isbts," a cng bus operator said. privately-owned cng buses — there are altogether 1,408 in the capital — were asked to procure contract carriage permits last month, after the union surface transport ministry's september 27 notification asked them to obtain permits from the transport authorities. a hue and cry was raised by the cng bus operators, many of whom are new entrants to the city's public transport sector. the transport department had asked them to obtain contract carriage permits so that they could ply as contract carriage buses (chartered and on inter-state routes). "the stage carriage permits and their routes will be distributed later by the transport department on a lottery basis," a senior transport official had said. some cng bus operators procured the contract carriage permits, while many did not. says vice-president of the all india cng bus operators, charan kamal singh: "we have recently obtained a stay order from the high court that we need not procure contract carriage permits, but can ply on our self-appointed routes." singh and the other cng bus operators say that they are not ready to accept the routes, even if the transport department allots them one. "the transport department will harass us on the allocation of stage carriage routes. we have also challenged the centre's notification making it mandatory for us to have permits." sta bus operators forum's h s kalra says, "these cng buses have to obtain permits as the amendment has been carried out after being passed by parliament. they are, at present, plying in contravention of the rules."