``We are in no hurry to bring back the Bluelines,'' Gupta said. ``By Saturday, the bus operators have to agree to come under the DTC and the km scheme. Till then the government can give them a preferential treatment. But after Saturday, we will throw open the scheme for everyone and the Blueline operators will have to compete with the rest of the applicants.''

On the question of issuing temporary permits, Gupta said, ``I cannot do it because I would have to withdraw the DTC buses already running on these routes to issue temporary permits. I cannot do that under Section 104 of the Motor Vehicles Act.''

According to Gupta, the phaseout of Bluelines was not posing a problem to commuters. ``I am sure the DTC can fill the space created by the phaseout of Bluelines. I have also asked the DTC Board to take in more buses. Presently, there are 5,500 buses and there will be 800 more by the end of two months. So the situation is returning to normal,'' he added.

Earlier in the day, around 5,000 bus operators held a demonstration against the government's decision to nationalise Bluelines and burnt an effigy of Rajendra Gupta at Jantar Mantar.

Members of the Delhi Bus Operators Forum, one of the unions of the bus operators, submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister specifying their reasons for not accepting the nationalisation of Bluelines.

Another union, the STA Nyay Panchayat, passed a resolution requesting Lieutenant-Governor Vijai Kapoor to call a meeting between the Delhi Transport Minister and the union to end the deadlock.

Union president Ramesh Dalal, also asked Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma to mediate and resolve the impasse. ``The Chief Minister belongs to the village and most of the bus operators are from villages. We have full faith in the Chief Minister and his proposals, after he listens to the two sides, will be acceptable to us,'' he said.