Stopped from boarding due to curbs, group vandalises buses
New Delhi: A group of people on Thursday blocked the MB Road in South Delhi and damaged several DTC buses in frustration after not being allowed to board a vehicle that had exceeded the permissible passenger-carrying capacity under the Capital's Yellow level Covid-19 restrictions even as thousands of commuters continued facing long lines and wait times to board Metro trains.
The police said they used "mild force" to disperse the crowd and that five people had been detained. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) M Harsha Vardhan said some people blocked the MB Road and broke the glass of a DTC bus on Thursday around 10:30 am. "Police dispersed the crowd. A case under relevant sections of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and IPC is being registered at Sangam Vihar police station and five people have been detained. The incident occurred due to non-availability of seats in the buses in view of Covid-related restrictions," he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Benita Marry Jaiker said morning, several calls complaining about a traffic jam near Jamia Hamdard on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road were received on Thursday. "Police reached the spot and found that some commuters were instigating others to sit on the road as bus drivers and marshalls were not allowing more than 17 passengers to board following the latest guidelines of the Delhi government," the DCP said.
Police tried to convince the people to let the traffic flow through the stretch. Later, people broke window panes of four to five buses, she said. Police removed the protesters from the spot. In the melee, one police personnel also sustained injury, the DCP added.
In videos of the incident that have emerged on social media, it was seen that a green and a red air-conditioned bus had been damaged. Windshields and side mirrors were broken. The conductor of the bus said that he was imploring commuters to back off in light of the new restrictions but they started pelting stones at the buses.
And even as Metro commuters' frustrations grew from standing in km-long queues, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation issued a statement imploring people to only step out if absolutely necessary. It said that the passenger-carrying capacity of each train had been reduced to less than 10 per cent of its original capacity and added, "Therefore, travel only if absolutely essential. Also keep extra time in your commute by the Metro as entry has to be regulated to ensure compliance with the guidelines which is resulting in the queue's outside stations."
