I
am in my car with an American friend who is vising Delhi from the USA. While he
is excitedly devouring the sites of Dilli
in the moving car, the discussion went on to how Delhi maintains the
magnificent balance between a progressive developed city and an enriched
historical core. One such example that he alluded was that of the omnipresent
Metro line that ran along the length of our journey.
Yes,
the Delhi Metro. A cornerstone of development symbolized by the brilliantly
elevated and underground rail lines, vigorously zigzagging through the
landscape of Delhi, somewhere touching the blue hues of the sky and somewhere,
deep inside the earth, infusing life from 6 am to 11 pm every day. It’s been a
historical journey since 2002 to make this milestone leap towards modernization
of the transportation system of Delhi which has put us on the International map
as having one of the most technologically advanced Mass Rapid Transit System’s
in the world.
It’s
cheap, it’s convenient and it’s safe! An average Delhite who fought traffic
hurdles with limited and over-crowded public transport buses, and sometimes
waited for hours to get a transport ride back home or to his work place, today,
pays anything between Rs. 8 to Rs 30, to reach his destination in the shortest
possible time. The trains travel at an average of 80km/hour with each train’s average
frequency being three minutes! There is special ladies compartment which is
unheard of anywhere in the world!! There are ‘pink’ signs on the platform to
indicte the ladies compartment which is either at the start of the finish of
the platform. The ladies compartment saves you from the hustle bustle of the other compartments.
In
terms of area coverage, it is forecasted that the Delhi Metro will be bigger
than the London Underground by 2021, the year of completion of the last phase
of the project. In terms of ridership, it’s growing every day. While Tokyo
subway system has the maximum passenger rides of 3.1 billion in a year,
followed by Moscow Metro, NYC subway system and London Underground, the Delhi
metro is close to their heels with 459 million passenger rides in year 2010-11.
We
as citizens of this modern metropolis, today, have a choice to use the most
advanced and reliable form of public transport thanks to the Delhi Metro. You
may be enjoying a morning stroll in Hauz Khas market, pouring over the artefacts,
or Connaught place eating at your favourite restaurant or in Chandi Chowk
market, buying spices; one thing is for sure, you will not be thinking of how
you will get home/hotel, reliving the fear of over-priced taxis and
over-crowded buses. You will walk down to the nearest Metro station, and be greeted by smiling attendants.
Delhi’s
advancement in public transport has arrived and it will soon overtake the
world. A Case study we will be proud to tell and re-tell for years to come!!
Some useful links, if you
are planning to travel by the metro in the future:
For Info
(coverage/fares/passenger): http://www.delhimetrorail.com/commuters_guide.aspx
For Delhi Metro timing: http://www.delhimetrorail.com/metro_timing.aspx
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