A traffic snarl at Lodhi Road on Wednesday due to an ongoing road repair work in the area. Praveen Khanna In order to curb accidents and ease traffic congestion, the Delhi government is going to start an intensive ‘bus lane enforcement drive’ for drivers of buses and heavy vehicles. Those found violating the rules will be slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 or six-month imprisonment.
In the first phase, the transport department along with Traffic Police will start this drive from April 1 on 15 prioritised corridors such as Dwarka Mor to Janakpuri, Ashram Chowk to Badarpur, Aurobindo Marg to Andheria Mor. The department has identified 46 corridors where drives will be implemented in phases.
About 150 km roads of the national capital will be under the radar of the transport department’s enforcement team.
The Delhi government had announced this initiative in August last year, and the Public Works Department created dedicated bus lanes in Delhi and sensitised bus drivers to drive on those lanes only.
Following this, the PWD was directed to mark the bus lanes with long-lasting thermoplastic paints and properly identify the selected corridors by placing warning signage and boards at suitable places.
According to officials, the special drive will start from 8 am to 10 pm, and the buses and heavy carriage vehicles will be allowed to ply on the segregated and marked bus lanes only.
“No other vehicle will be permitted to ply in the said bus lanes during this period. Further, during the period from 10 pm to 8 am, other vehicles may be allowed to ply in bus lanes. However the buses and goods carriages will confine and ply in the segregated and marked bus lanes for 24 hours,” said the official.
Officials said that buses and heavy vehicles found plying on the other lanes will be liable for prosecution under section 192-A of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 which prescribes a fine of Rs 10,000, with an imprisonment for a term which may be extended to six months.
Besides, if any vehicle, other than buses, such as cars and scooters are found parked on the bus lanes, they will be towed by the enforcement team and a fine will be imposed besides the towing charge.
The transport department further said there will be two enforcement teams on the ground in two shifts to enforce traffic discipline on bus lanes. The teams will also have cranes for impounding vehicles on dedicated lanes.
Officials said the enforcement team will also record videos and take pictures of the vehicles violating rules as evidence.
“The DTC and DIMTC, two bus operators of city bus transportation fleet, have been directed to sensitise drivers of the DTC and cluster buses to restrict/ply their buses in the earmarked bus lanes only to avoid challan/prosecution,” said the official.
“We are committed to make Delhi roads safe for motorists, non-motorised transport and pedestrians. It would also help with reducing the traffic congestion on the road. I also urge bus commuters to wait only at the bus stops,” said transport minister Kailash Gahlot.
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