New Delhi: Delhi BJP on Monday sought a
high-level probe into the incidents of low-floor DTC buses
catching fire in the city, alleging that the government
procured the fleet despite adverse opinion by the experts.
Questioning the entire procurement procedure of the new
bus fleet, senior BJP leader V K Malhotra demanded strict
acquisition norms to ensure highest safety standards in these
buses.
In third such incident within a week, a low-floor bus of
the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) caught fire at Moti
Nagar area on last Thursday, prompting the government to issue
a stern warning to Tata Motors, the supplier of the fleet, to
improve maintenance.
"There should be a serious high-level inquiry into the
recent and past incidents of malfunction in the low floor DTC
buses," Malhotra, also leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly,
said.
Malhotra claimed that experts in 2007 had opined that
these buses were not suitable for Delhi roads but still the
government went ahead to procure them. "These buses were
procured in spite of expert opinion against them," he said.
The government had also constituted a four-member panel
to look into the incident as well as suggest measures to
ensure highest level of safety to the passengers. The panel
has been given a month's time to file its report.
PTI
First Published: Monday, December 07, 2009, 18:57