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Bus safety in New Delhi debated after death of teenager

Commuters in India's national capital call the city's privately operated buses "speed monsters" and "killing machines" -- and with good reason.

So far this year the Blueline buses, which hurtle down Delhi roads as if they were on a racetrack, have killed 61 people and injured 144, according to police.

And the issue has come to a head with the deaths of a 14-year-old boy crushed under the wheels of a bus and an 11-year-old boy run over while taking his dog to the vet in the space of two weeks.

The deaths have sparked a public outcry in the city of 14 million.

"These buses are out of control. Traveling on these buses means risking your life," said resident Ramesh Ghosh, 42, an advertising copywriter who commutes by car.

In response to public anger, Delhi's chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, has announced a crackdown on the buses, impounding more than 720 for safety violations such as faulty brakes and ordered drivers to undergo training.

Dikshit said she would "rather walk" than board one of the city's 4,500 Bluelines.

"Who would want to offer himself to death?" she asked.

But, as commentators noted, Dikshit was unlikely to need public transport as she has a chauffeured car to navigate Delhi's roads, ranked among the world's most hazardous.

Competition among Blueline owners is blamed for the high death toll.

"Road transport is run by virtual mom-and-pop operations. All you need is to own five buses. You can then apply for a permit, grease some palms for lucrative routes and hey presto, you're in business," commented the Times of India.

Drivers from rival operators race each other to the next bus stop to be first to pick up passengers and collect fares. Hooting horns that sound like express trains, the buses use their size to muscle their way through Delhi's notoriously congested traffic.

"The buses try to take in the most people they can. It's not safe," said Delhi opposition leader Harsh Vardhan.

Unqualified drivers are also blamed for the high accident rate. For instance, the driver of the Blueline which killed the 11-year-old boy was a bus cleaner who had been promoted and had no license.

Delhi's smaller fleet of 3,500 state-run buses has a better safety record -- though it has killed 25 people this year, according to police.

The Bluelines, nicknamed "Bloodlines" by some residents, were responsible for around 100 deaths last year and over 140 the previous year, media reports quoting police say.

Delhi's chief minister Dikshit met Blueline operators last week who she said gave her an assurance that they would behave, a pledge greeted with derision by the media.

She said operators had been asked to draft a conduct code and "take steps to instill faith among people. Their vehicles should not be called killer buses."
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