Transport in Delhi
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Public transport in Delhi is provided by auto rickshaws, buses, rapid transit system, taxis and suburban railways. Buses are the most popular means of transportation catering to about 60% of the total demand.[1] Major bus service providers include state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), BlueLine Transport Corporation and several other private concerns. Private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transportation while the rest of the demand is met largely by auto-rickshaws, taxis, rapid transit system and railways.[1] Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international connections, and is situated in the southwestern corner of the city. In 2005-2006, IGI recorded a traffic of more than 16.2 million passengers(Both Domestic and International),[2] making it one of the busiest airports in South Asia. Two other airports are Palam (now part of the IGI complex) and Safdarjung Flying Club.
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[edit] Roadways
Transportation in Delhi is largely dependent upon road. Railways, including rapid transit systems like Delhi Metro, serve only 1% of the total demand. Major railway stations are Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi Railway Station. Road transportation in Delhi is maintained by MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, Public Works Department and Delhi Development Authority. At 1749 km of road length per 100 km², Delhi has one of the highest road densities in India. Major roadways include the Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road which had a traffic of 110,000 vehicles per day in 2001. Delhi is well connected to other parts of India by 5 National Highways: NH-1, -2, -8, -10 and -25. In 2001, more than 3.45 million vehicles were plying on Delhi's roads and the demand for transportation rose by 6.7% while the number of motor vehicles in Delhi rose by 14.7%.[1]
As Delhi's population continues to grow exponentially, the city's has the highest ratio of vehicles per capita in India. Government-owned Delhi Transport Corporation buses, private buses, including chartered buses all play a crucial role in connecting Delhi.
[edit] Auto-rickshaws
The auto rickshaws (sometimes called Auto) are an important and popular means of public transportation in Delhi, as they charge a lower fare than taxis. Hiring an Auto in Delhi is very tricky, as few auto-drivers accept standard meter charges. The typical method is to haggle for an agreeable rate. It is typical for the rate to be almost doubled after 11 p.m. With the introduction of electronic meters, the tamperability of meters has reduced, and a stronger jurisdiction for a sanctioning body has forced more auto-rickshaws to comply with the meter-based charging scheme. However, it is common for the meters of auto-rickshaws to be "broken" or disregarded by their drivers. This rarely is a source of conflict because the fares charged are modest, particularly by western standards.
[edit] Taxis
Though easily available, taxis are not an integral part of Delhi public transport. The DTC, the Indian Tourism Ministry and various private operators operate most taxis. The Tourism Ministry grants private companies permits to operate taxis. Locally called tourist taxis, they provide better service than DTC ones, but, unlike DTC taxis, are not metered and usually charge more. To hire a taxi, one either has to go to a taxi stand or telephone a taxi service provider; they are not usually flagged from the street.
[edit] Buses
Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Most of the buses that ply across Delhi are operated by State-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and other private operators such as the BlueLine Transport Corporation. It is mandatory for all private bus operators to acquire permit from Delhi's State Transport Authority.
Bus fares are based on the colour of the stripe on the bus. Regular DTC buses are yellow and have bus numbers in white plates. Their fares are in denomination of 2, 5, 7 and 10 rupees. Similar private buses are yellow or blue. Buses with green stripes, yellow number plates and GL printed ahead of the number, charge a flat fare of 10 rupees.
DTC operates the world's largest fleet of environmentally friendly CNG buses. While not very high-tech, they pollute much less than the poorly designed and maintained diesel buses of most other State Road Transit Commissions (RTCs) in India. The buses are also much easier on the lungs of other road users as there is no cloud of carbon particles in the face of the unfortunate motorcyclist who sidles next to a bus at an intersection. Directly, and indirectly, the gas-burning buses have also somewhat reduced the downward trend in Delhi's air quality and related illnesses. Soon, a new fleet of buses will serve Delhi, proving to be very high tech, clean, and environmentally friendly.
[edit] Metro
Delhi's high population growth rate, coupled by high economic growth rate has resulted in ever increasing demand for transportation creating excessive pressure on the city's existent transport infrastructure. Like many other cities in the developing world, the city faces acute transport management problems leading to air pollution, congestion and resultant loss of productivity. In order to meet the transportation demand in Delhi, the State and Union governmet started the construction of an ambitious mass rapid transit system, known as Delhi Metro. As of 2005, the metro operates 3 lines with a total length of 56 km and 50 stations while several other lines are under construction. The MCD and PWD also launched several traffic decongestion programmes.
Three lines currently operate. Line 1 runs east-west for 22kms on an elevated track between Rithala and Shahdara. Line 2 runs north-south for 11kms in an underground tunnel between Vishwa Vidyalaya and the Central Secretariat. Line 3, opened on December 31, 2005, runs 22.8 km long on elevated tracks and an underground tunnel, between Indraprastha, Barakhamba Road and Dwarka.
[edit] Railway connectivity
Delhi has a large and efficient railway network. The Indian Railways plays a crucial role in connecting Delhi with the rest of India. The railway system also helps connect major parts of the city and its suburbs. The major railway stations connected through the trains are Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Okhla, Pragati Maidan, Shahdara, Shakur Basti and Tilak Bridge. One of the major local trains operates between Palwal station and Shakur Basti station.
[edit] Airports
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international connections, and is situated in the southwestern corner of the city. In 2004, IGI recorded a traffic of more than 8.5 million passengers[3], making it one of the busiest airports in South Asia. It operates two terminals — Terminal 1 for domestic and Terminal 2 for international air travel. The international terminal has all modern facilities like Duty-Free Shopping, money exchange service and various other recreational facilities. However, limited transportation facilities between Terminal 1 and the international terminal, has caused some inconvenience to passengers in the past.
Two other airports are Palam (now part of the IGI complex) and Safdarjung Flying Club. Palam Airport (formerly RIAF Palam) is now used by the Indian Air Force and the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
[edit] Pollution
Due to high traffic congestion, Delhi's pollution levels increased drastically during the mid-1990s. In 1998, the Supreme Court of India ordered all public transport vehicles, including buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws, to use compressed natural gas as fuel instead of diesel and other hydro-carbons. The DTC now operates the world's largest fleet of environmentally friendly CNG buses.[4] Though pollution due to road transportation has decreased in recent years, it remains alarmingly high. The World Bank has ranked Delhi as the world's most polluted city. Besides expanding the Delhi Metro, the government is currently considering several other means such as Trolleybus, Monorail and Integrated Freight Complexes to meet transport demand and reduce traffic congestion and pollution levels in the city.[1]
