[sustran] fwd: Delhi public transport crisis again

[Paul Barter]

Again, it seems the bus system plus other services like autorickshaws have
been severely disrupted in Delhi.  Any comments or insights on this from our
Indian or Delhi-based participants? 
Paul
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Straits Times Interactive
Apr 04, 2001 
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/storyprintfriendly/0,1887,34426,00.html?

New Delhi commuters torch buses as crisis hits transport

The anger erupts after a court orders thousands of smoky vehicles off the
roads in a bid to clean up the city's air, leading to a shortage of buses 

By Nirmal Ghosh 
INDIA CORRESPONDENT 

NEW DELHI - The Indian capital was plunged into chaos yesterday as furious
commuters torched buses to protest against a lack of public transport after
a court order forced thousands of smoky vehicles off the roads.

Tens of thousands of commuters were stranded and blocked the streets, trying
in desperation to hitch rides in private cars or on motor scooters.

A crowd of 2,000 burnt six public buses and broke the windows of 10 more on
the outskirts of New Delhi, expressing their anger and frustration after
waiting for hours.

The crisis is expected to last all week - but hard-hit schools and
businesses will get some respite tomorrow and Friday, which are public
holidays.

Some schools closed for the week yesterday.

The few buses plying the streets were mobbed, with commuters sitting on
rooftops and clinging to the window grilles at the back.

Only about 2,000 buses were on the streets yesterday - down from the usual
12,500.

At the heart of the problem is an effort to clean up the capital's
environment after decades of neglect and galloping growth.

The city, with a population of close to 14 million, has become the most
densely populated in the country. 

In 1998, the Supreme Court ordered all Delhi-registered commercial vehicles
to convert to compressed natural gas (CNG), instead of diesel and petrol.

After several extensions, the final deadline fell last Sunday.

Owners of transport vehicles waited as long as possible to convert, hoping
they would not have to, because the conversion can cost up to 7,000 rupees
(S$280) per vehicle, although the CNG is said to be less expensive in the
long run.

As Monday was a public holiday, the full scale of the chaos only surfaced
yesterday.

Officials had assured the public that at least 5,000 buses would be on the
road by Monday and more yesterday. 

In the event only about 1,100 reached the streets on Monday, about 2,000
yesterday and, by the end of the week, only 5,000 are expected to be in use.

The Supreme Court ruled last week that those bus operators who had applied
for CNG conversion and made down payments could take to the streets - but
with special permits.

But it takes hours to issue a permit.

The Times of India said in an editorial yesterday: 'Who is behind the mess?
It's a bunch of politicians who uncaringly allowed deadline after court
deadline to pass. They did so obviously presuming politicians are
accountable to none.'

The CNG conversion drive is part of an effort on several fronts to address
the problem of New Delhi's pollution, much of which is caused by car
emissions, especially from diesel and from old-technology two-stroke
auto-rickshaw engines.

As part of the effort, hundreds of polluting small-scale industrial units
have been closed down, and thousands of taxis and auto-rickshaws converted
to CNG.

While the drive has created severe problems with thousands in the city
thrown out of jobs, officials said the capital's air-pollution levels had
already dropped. 

Companies and businesses across the city reported yesterday that about 10
per cent of their staff did not come to work.

Driver Vikram Singh told The Straits Times: 'I came to work one hour late. I
was clinging to the back of the bus. 

'The auto-rickshaws were charging many times the normal fare. There were
huge crowds at the bus stops. Only a few were running. I was lucky.'

Copyright © 2001 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. 
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forwarded for the purposes of education and research under the fair play
provisions of copyright law.