India Take Moves to Relaunch Delhi-Lahore Busissue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 02, 2003

India Take Moves to Relaunch Delhi-Lahore Busissue

The Indian government has taken moves to relaunch Delhi-Lahore bus service after announcing a decision to resume the bus service as part of Confidence-Building Measures.

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The Indian government has taken moves to relaunch Delhi-Lahore bus service after announcing a decision to resume the bus service as part of Confidence-Building Measures.

Although Islamabad is yet to respond to India's move on reciprocal basis, New Delhi is finalizing the details of putting back the service that was snapped on Dec. 31, 2001, 18 days after the terrorist attack on Parliament in Dec. 13, 2001.

Senior officials of the External Affairs Ministry, the Delhi government and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will meet on June3 to discuss the feasibility of using the two buses which were plying on the route before the service was snapped, according to local media.

DTC officials said that the golden-colored Air-Conditioned (AC)deluxe buses purchased for 2.2 million rupees (46,809 US dollars) each are in dilapidated conditions. Out of use on Delhi-Lahore route, these buses were put on domestic tourist circuits, like Dehra Dun and Nainital.

However, bad roads and frequent plying accompanied by poor maintenance led to wear and tear, they said, adding one of the twobuses sometime ago suffered a major damage on the rear side after a truck rammed into it.

Given the situation, the Delhi government is even contemplatingto buy more luxurious buses, Delhi Transport Minister Ajay Maken said.

He said that the Delhi government had set aside 12.5 million rupees (265,957 dollars) for purchase of new buses which could be used on rotational-basis to help curb wear and tear.

In the meanwhile, a makeover is being carried out on these buses.

The Delhi-Lahore bus service was launched with much fanfare on March 16, 1999, less than a month after the historic Lahore Bus journey by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The service was aimed at bringing the people of the two countries closer by providing a cheaper mode of transport. It supplemented the Samjhauta Express train service, till then the only surface link between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government also expects Pakistan to pay up2,461,187 rupees (52,366 dollars) which Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation owes to the loss-making DTC on account of providing various kinds of facilities during plying of the serviceon the Indian side.

The dues, which have been pending for the last 22 months, were incurred by the DTC over provision of fuel, food, and boarding andlodging facilities to the Pakistani bus and its crew members and passengers.

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