Delhi : Transportation in Delhi

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

There are various modes of transportation available in Delhi.

Buses: The DTC TATA AC buses and Non AC buses which travel throughout the city. The huge windows on the buses offer a good view of the city in comparison to the old rickety buses. The old buses are as old as the ST buses in Maharashtra. These buses don’t depreciate over the years and people still use them as a means of communication. Bus tickets are quite affordable. A full day ticket will cost Rs.50. Which can be used on all non AC buses, be it green or red but not on the orange buses. As the orange bus ply intercity i.e. Delhi to Gurgaon.  As per Rohan the new breed of buses was introduced lately before the Commonwealth Games.

Metro:  I have travelled in Metro in London. But in India, this was the first time. The journey via the metro is quick and fast if you plan to travel long distances. Metro is used by all the classes in the society Tickets are slightly on the expensive side but worth the ride. The metro stations are quite clean and well manned. All metro coaches are designed in the same manner, globally.  When travelling in the metro it gives you the feeling, like you are in a different country. Once you step of the metro station, you face reality. Fact of Life.

Rail Transport: Though I didn’t get the opportunity to travel by it. I am informed by Rohan that it is the most neglected mode of travel. The trains ply very slowly and hence no one prefers to travel by it. A joyride is a must on it. Maybe on my next trip to Delhi might try it out.  These trains need a makeover. I get the feeling that they have been around for the past 40 years at least.   

Cycle Rickshaw: This is the most convenient and pollution free mode of transportation for short distances in Delhi.  The transportation costs are very cheap. I took a joyride on it too for Rs.10. But they can be a pest at times, as confirmed by Rohan. 

Auto Rickshaw: These are known as Autos. The drivers are pest. The moment you exit from any station they keep circling you asking to ride with them in their autos. They don’t follow the meter and so charge a bomb. But the prices are less compared to the taxis. Most people prefer them as they take you to your destination in comparison to buses, metros and cycle rickshaw.

Taxis: An expensive mode of travelling in the city is the taxi both the black and yellow and the private taxis.  Again there are no standard rates. The drivers quote what they please depending on the distance, time taken and no of passengers travelling. These are used mostly by foreign tourists to travel across the city.  I also noticed a new breed of taxis here that work on call radio service. Though these are a bit expensive, they work on meter. 

Walking:  The final mode of transportation is walking. It lets you see the city in entirety where the other modes of transport don’t take you. So be prepared to walk. We walked alot in Paharganj to get me a place to stay for the trip.