New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) The Delhi government Monday decided not to bring 1,600 Blueline buses back to the capital's roads. The privately-run buses were taken off to decongest some of the city roads ahead of the just concluded Commonwealth Games.

The buses were plying in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area - mainly comprising central Delhi - and near the Games venues in east, north and south Delhi.

Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely told reporters: "A notification in this regard will be issued after getting approval from Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna. We cannot leave the people of Delhi at the mercy of Blueline buses."

Lovely said by Dec 14 all the Blueline buses will be pushed off Delhi roads.

He said the red and green low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses that were used to ferry athletes and officials during the Commonwealth Games have joined the city's public transport system, and with these the DTC now has a fleet of 6,400 buses.

"As many as 200-250 more red buses (that are air-conditioned) are in the pipeline and will join the DTC fleet soon," he added.

The Delhi government had planned to phase out all the Blueline buses before the Commonwealth Games. The Blueline bus operators had approached the high court against the government decision, and the matter is pending in the court.

A total of 2,800 Blueline buses are plying on the roads of the city.