NEW DELHI, July 14 (UPI) -- Police in the Indian capital city have begun cracking down on the private Blueline buses after a string of fatalities.
So far this year, there have been 62 deaths in New Delhi, the last two coming this week, The International Herald Tribune reported. In one case, a bus driver ran over and killed a 14-year-old boy who had just gotten off his bus, while the other casualty was a motorcyclist hit by a bus.
With only 3,500 buses in the municipal fleet, the 4,500 Blueline buses are a major part of the public transportation system. The city is building a subway system but it remains incomplete.
Police began pulling over Blueline drivers for traffic infractions and impounding their buses after an 11-year-old was struck and killed earlier this month as he took his dog to a veterinarian. About 700 buses are out of service.
Buses are so crowded that commuters have been climbing on bumpers and hanging on to get home, leading to some serious injuries. The city government even took out a newspaper ad: "Life is precious. Boarding or getting off a moving bus is highly dangerous."
