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Hello there! Here is some additional news about what ?was? done to remedy the chaotic situation seen on the Metro stations. Some more related news will follow. Here?s
the Metro news ending December 29, 2002. All previous news updates
(since May 3, 2002), are available in PDF format at: PDFs news updates need some catching up and might not be current. Thanks! Take
the BMW ? Bus, Metro and Walk! Cheers! ********************************** 1a)
New Delhi's Thoroughly Modern Metro (Washington Post) By
Rama Lakshmi NEW DELHI, Dec. 25 -- Commuters today got their first ride on New Delhi's new metro rail system, which officials hailed as a dream come true that would usher this traffic-clogged, polluted capital into the ranks of swank Asian cities like Tokyo, Singapore and Taipei. Hundreds of thousands of commuters braved the winter chill, some lining up at dawn, to ride the subway, India's largest urban transport project. Of the 155 miles envisioned for the completed system, just five are in place so far -- a segment that took four years and 15,000 workers to build. By 2005, 38 miles are projected to be operational, officials said, and the entire network is scheduled to be completed by 2021. The Delhi metro is India's second, after the 10-mile system in the eastern city of Calcutta. It provides a modern alternative for the desperate commuters in this teeming city of 13 million people, who have long had to rely on overcrowded buses, taxis charging exorbitant fares and three-wheeled automobile rickshaws. Built with the help of consultants from Japan, South Korea and United States, at a cost of $2 billion for the first 38 miles, the state-of-the-art system will be better than those of New York and Tokyo, officials said. "The people of Delhi have been dreaming of a metro for ages, and that has been realized today," Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said Tuesday, when he became the first passenger on the South Korean-made metro cars. But the dream project had a bumpy start today, as the new system was overwhelmed by as many as 800,000 excited commuters, four times its capacity. Automatic gates broke down, the computerized fare collection system collapsed and managers ran out of tokens. City police had to resort to tough crowd control measures to manage the jostling crowds. "It's a new system, and the massive overcrowding led to some hitches," said Anuj Dayal, a spokesman for Delhi Metro Rail Corp. "But it proved to everybody how badly the city has been yearning for the metro." But those who did get to ride the gleaming cars, decorated with balloons and ribbons, could not stop gushing. "For a few minutes, I felt I was not in India anymore. It was world-class," Ashok Chatterji, a 49-year-old bank clerk, said as he came out of the train with his family. "It was air-conditioned, automatic, and clean. It is a national pride." "The
city buses are a nightmare for women, with so much groping and
pinching all the time. Metro will be a relief from all that,"
said Subhadra Chatterji, his wife, who said she wore her bright
blue silk sari and gold jewelry specially for her first ride.
About 70 percent of the city's air pollution is caused by vehicles, particularly the buses. Government and court orders requiring public transportation companies to switch to such eco-friendly fuels as compressed natural gas have been defied by transport unions and have often met with stiff resistance that has turned violent. Officials hope that the metro will reduce the city's pollution by half, handling the load of nearly 2,600 buses or 33 lanes of private cars. But some urban transportation analysts say that New Delhi's growth pattern was different from the growth patterns of Western cities and that metro may not be the best solution. New Delhi "is a city that has many centers, and it is built on a humane, low-rise scale. And 50 percent of the trips are less than five kilometers [three miles]," said Dinesh Mohan, a professor who heads the urban transportation department at the Indian Institute of Technology. "What the city needs is a better, more modern, high-tech bus system. It would be far cheaper for a low-income country like ours." The breathless countdown to the slick new city railway began months ago, as officials held out the metro as a panacea for all the city's woes. As crime against women increased, people were told that women would not be harassed on the metro, because trains and stations would be heavily guarded. New Delhi's customary summer power outages, officials said, would not affect either the metro's operations or its air conditioners. And in a city where most buildings and transportation are inaccessible to the physically disabled, the metro would be "disabled-friendly." Advertising campaigns ran for weeks to "educate" the city on how to use the metro. For Dayal, the system spokesman, it was almost like asking for a "change of culture." "People in New Delhi are rough, so I ran daily radio ads saying no pinching and elbowing in the metro," Dayal said. "No rooftop traveling allowed; you could get electrocuted. No drunkenness, no abusive language, no milk cans and pets allowed. No tampering with the switches and gadgets, and most importantly, no ticketless travel will be tolerated." He
added: "I know I can't change people's ways. But I am telling
them to behave better, at least while inside the metro." 1b)
Delhi metro in 'stay away' plea (BBC) Friday, 27 December, 2002, 17:42 GMT People
in the Indian capital, Delhi, are being urged not to use the city's
new underground rail system, just two days after it opened. Metro managers are concerned that even more people may try the capital's latest attraction over the weekend. The
metro employs state-of-the-art equipment So far most passengers, it seems, have headed underground out of curiosity, rather than necessity. Many have come into Delhi from out of town just for the purpose. But so many have been taking home souvenirs of their day trips that the state-of-the-art metro has now run out of electronic tokens. Drivers have even had to switch off emergency intercoms in the trains because of passengers buzzing them to tell them to go faster. Smart cards Delhi, home to 14 million people, is one of the most crowded cities on earth. The authorities have planned the metro through some of the city's most congested areas, where traditional forms of transport are overcrowded buses or three-wheeler scooter taxis. The initial section - an elevated corridor connecting a north-eastern suburb with the interstate bus terminal in north Delhi - covers eight kilometres (five miles). The metro is expected to carry two million commuters a day when the $2bn first phase is finished in 2005. The fare of four rupees (eight US cents) makes travelling affordable for all - and the system is one of the most sophisticated in the world. All
stations are equipped with computerised ticketing systems and
automatic turnstiles, with sensors which can detect smart cards.
1c)
Joyriders keep streaming in at the Metro (TOI) TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2002 10:15:56 PM ] By 3 pm, 65,000 commuters had boarded the trains, with Tis Hazari and Shahdara being the favourite stations. Once again the first train in the morning failed to stick to the schedule and started 15 minutes late despite the fact that visibility was all right. DMRC officials said there was a slight problem in getting the trains out of the shed in the morning. "But we are calibrating the trains every night and glitches are being smoothed out," said DMRC chief spokesperson Anuj Dayal. Despite the delay in the morning, trains ran as per schedule the rest of the day. The frequency of trains was 10 minutes on an average. Over a 100,000 passengers had taken the Metro on Thursday. DMRC raked in revenues worth Rs 4 lakh. "We are improving the schedule and the frequency. Yesterday we did 120 trips, today we expect to do 130 trips," said DMRC director (rolling stock and electrical) Satish Kumar. He said a contributory factor towards the trains running on schedule on Friday was that commuters were not allowed to fiddle with the doors. But Kumar conceded that the trains were getting dirty fast. "The maintenance department is working hard to keep the coaches clean. Everyday we sweep out 5 kg of dust from the trains, apart from marks on the walls," he said. He said in case a train?s doors did not close completely, instead of holding up the train, a sahayak will be posted there. And the fault rectified on reaching the terminal. "Stopping the train en route delays consecutive trains," he said. Earlier
in the day, Madan Lal Khurana took over as the chairman of the
corporation. He promised that he would not interfere in the day-to-day
running of DMRC. He later inspected the Metro stations. 1d)
Metro coaches show signs of abuse (TOI) ANURADHA MUKHERJEE TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2002 10:17:25 PM ] No commuter has been prosecuted so far, say Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials. They say at the moment they are letting people off with a warning. Meanwhile, overhead handles have vanished, windows have cracked and there are paan stains in corners. At the stations, security is virtually non-existent and private securitymen enjoy the ride on the Metro while policemen manage the crowd. At about 2 pm, a 400-man deep queue waited patiently outside Tis Hazari station. All the private securitymen ? yes men, because no women personnel were seen ? do is stop too many people from entering the station at once. Policemen look on. Where are the high-tech gadgets for frisking people and scanning baggage, one wonders. On being asked why people were not being checked, the security personnel on duty say they have not been instructed to do s. "To aap press se hai? Apna bag dikhayiye. (You are from the Press? Let me check your bag)," said the personnel. This reporter's bag was checked, while others blithely walked past. Even as sahayaks ran around instructing and guiding commuters, the securitymen seemed to contribute nothing. "We don't have the power to intercept people," said one. Aboard the train, things are not much different. On the Tis Hazari-bound 4 pm train, the private security guard simply looked on as people pressed on to the doors and spat inside the train. "People don't listen to us," he said. Even as he said this, a child climbed on to a seat and started kicking the window. Meanwhile, reports of offences like crossing Metro tracks, drunken behaviour, pickpocketing and eve-teasing have already been made, apart from vandalism, smoking and ticketless travel. "Metro authorities are making a mistake, they should crack the whip from start and make an example of offenders. They should be handed over to the police and detained for two-three hours," said Satish Chopra, a Krishna Nagar resident. "At Kashmiri Gate, a youth was caught trying to cross the tracks and take the train back to Shahdara without paying. The sahayaks caught him," said a DMRC employee. A guard Surinder said he had caught two people for drunken behaviour, and another for smoking. "But we cannot fine them," he said. Drunken behaviour, vandalism, indecency and even use of offensive and abusive language on the Metro can invite fines up to Rs 500. DMRC director (rolling stock and electrical) Satish Kumar said from Saturday, police personnel would travel on every train. "A uniformed policemen will be present in every coach. We are stepping up the security on Saturday, Sunday and on Tuesday and Wednesday, when we expect more people to come," he said. He also said that starting Saturday, policemen would start frisking people. "Offenders will be fined and handed over to the police. They will be detained," he added. Metro
being a prized possession for the city, any step taken to maintain
it will be welcome. 1e)
Day 2: Teething troubles on but smiles appear (Indian Express) Puja
Birla & Amba Batra Despite this, the day did not go down without hiccups. At the same time officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have planned certain strategies - some that were immediately effective and others that will take few days. A look at Metro?s run today. Doors: Train moves with doors open six inches. DMRC security manually shuts them. When the trains stop, some doors don?t open. ??Due to yesterday?s incident, a few trains are running with open doors. This is not dangerous as security personnel have been put on the spot. It is safe to run trains like this. What we can do is isolate a few doors in every rake so that they are not part of the automatic door closing mechanism. And the people can be filtered through. The train?s control panel doesn?t read the open door and starts to move.?? - Satish Kumar, director, Rolling Stock and Electricals. Smart cards: DMRC personnel were not sure how a smart card worked. ??Sudden exposure to the public on such a scale probably caused this confusion on the part of our personnel. Also, they have been freshly recruited. Give them a little time and the entire operation would function like a well-oiled machine.?? - Anuj Dayal, CPRO. Delays: Trains delayed and still no time-table. The first train today started about 20 minutes late. Currently, there is a train every 10 minutes in both directions. ??Since we had to withdraw one rake yesterday at about 7.30pm, there are only three Metro rakes in use. Hence the scheduling can?t be adhered to. The trains started late due to the fog and were running slower. By 3pm, we had completed 68 trips in both directions.?? - Madhuresh Kumar, general manager(Operations). Fare Collection system: Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system still not working. ??On Wednesday, the AFCs were not working because some tokens had not been digitised. Since the DMRC ran out of tokens and is issuing paper tickets, the AFCs are expected to start functioning by next week.?? -Satish Kumar Security: Security has been tightened with two additional companies of Central Industrial Security Force personnel from today. Barricades have been put on platforms and paid areas to ensure that people don?t avail a free return ride. At Tis Hazari, Kashmere Gate and Shahdara, entry and exit points have been reorganised to keep the crowd moving in a single direction. Advertisements and public appeals put out asking people to use the Metro carefully and take a joyride only during the lean hours. Satish Kumar added: ??The citizens of Kolkata have kept their Metro very clean. Delhiites need to realise that this facility is for them and they must respect it. Let us not make the Delhi Metro into a Blueline bus service.?? Sahayaks were put on coaches to ensure no one tampered with the emergency buttons and the doors. From Friday onwards, security personnel will be on board each train. This has also been done keeping in mind the possibility of a terrorist attack or even pickpockets, Satish Kumar said. Paper tickets will continue to be issued till the weekend is over. Many first timers, treated themselves by taking home tokens as souvenirs yesterday leading to a shortage. This is also being done keeping in mind that the crowds will surge during the weekend. Plans of deploying women constables at stations and inside the trains is also being discussed for the security of women. Extra staff at ticket counters will also be introduced once the officials can get a count of regular commuters. *
Officials are also toying with the idea of outsourcing sale of
smart cards like pre-paid mobile phone cards. 1f)
Commuters to blame for Metro glitches (Indian Express) Rachna
Nayyar Here are two examples of Delhiites being careless with the Metro. The Metro is not being able to adhere to its schedule because the crowds (today the trains were not overflowing but didn?t have passengers climbing each other?s shoulders) are not allowing the doors to be closed on time. As soon as the automatic doors slide inwards after the stipulated 30-second interval, the commuters put their limbs out to prevent the doors from closing. Since these doors are designed to be ??polite??, they are developing snags due to coarse handling. For example at Seelampur station, the official announcement had been made that the doors will close. But there were still a curious few who were craning their necks to see what was happening behind them. The door slid backwards after making a vain effort to close. For the other passengers who wanted to reach their destinations on time, this delay ? the trains are not supposed to run with the doors open ? was irritating. Excitement of travelling on the Metro for the first time was giving way to anger. ??I had an appointment at Tis Hazari at 10am, which is why I took the 9.30 train. But with the train running late, I might as well have taken the bus,?? said Sunder Kumar Sharma. The train with its whimsical doors eventually reached Tis Hazari 20 minutes late. Yesterday, the first day?s crowd had taken tokens for souvenirs. Today, Metro authorities had run out of these small coin-like things which have to be slotted into the entry and exit points. Token-grabbers had emptied the Metro?s collection at all six stations and authorities had to issue paper tickets. Unlike
yesterday, platforms were not overflowing. ??Aaj to log aaye hi
nahin,?? a security guard said. The foggy morning also had its
effect. Of course, there were reasons to be optimistic as well.
There were some senior citizens whose civic sense stood out. They
enjoyed the Metro ride, forgave the few glitches and agreed it
was a boon for Delhi. ??This is just initial teething trouble,??
they concluded. ??You have to give it time. You can?t judge so
soon,?? said one of them. 1g)
Passengers can?t get enough of trains (Indian Express) Express
News Service She was at Tis Hazari station for a surprise visit and a ride to possibly gauge the popular reaction early this morning. And as the Chief Minister stepped in, Delhi Metro reported its first power failure. Supply was restored soon and the train running behind schedule finally took off. For the Sen couple from Lucknow, who had travelled to Delhi only for the Metro, this couldn?t have been better. Seated in one corner of the train and looking out of the window, 65-year-old Aparna Sen said: ??We have been here since 5.45 am. It is a wonderful experience and we wouldn?t have missed it for anything.?? Her
husband S.P. Sen, a retired National Council for Educational Research
and Training academic, added: ??I have travelled the world and
have been on the London Metro but this is better than what we
expected.?? 1h)
More security personnel to be deployed from today (Indian Express) Pradip
R. Sagar Overwhelmed by the rush, senior police and Delhi Metro Railway Corporation officials who met this evening decided to deploy extra Delhi Armed Police personnel at the Metro stations. Speaking to Express Newsline, Additional Commissioner Qamar Ahmed said: ??An additional company of DAP having a strength of about 80 personnel would deployed.?? The meeting discussed not only the cases of pick-pocketing and sexual harassment which went largely unreported, but also took into account the ??larger security aspect??. The fact that a large number of unauthorised person found it easy to enter the premises also came up for discussion. There was even discussion whether a new force or a new wing of the Delhi police should be raised for the Metro alone. Hassled Metro officials maintained that they had made elaborate security arrangements. They however conceded that they hadn?t anticipated such a heavy rush. ??This is expected to continue till the novelty wears off,?? said a Metro official. Throughout the day, commuters found it difficult to register their complaint as purses vanished and some women complained of ??physical contact??. Officials however said that they had not received any such complaint. Jagdish Prasad, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, complained he had lost Rs 4,000. ??But when I reported the matter to the policeman posted there, I was asked to lodge a formal complaint, he did not tell me where. I could not find any police post,?? he added. Reeta, a second year student of Delhi University, thought that the rush had taken away much of the fun she thought she would have on her first ride on the Metro. ??I and my friends had planned to take the ride. After waiting for an hour, we got the tickets and boarded the Metro at Shahdara. But, the coach was overflowing with passengers. Then a group of youths began making indecent gestures. Unfortunately, there were no policemen in the coach at that time.?? At
the Tis Hazari station, commuters found it hard to get in through
the entry point and barged in through the barred exit gate, breaking
glass panes in the process. 1i)
Curious commuters swamp Delhi's new metro (CNN) Thursday, December 26, 2002 Posted: 4:56 AM EST (0956 GMT) NEW DELHI, India -- New Delhi's new underground train system has got off to a rocky start as nearly 1 million commuters -- and the merely curious -- swamped stations and trains, at times bringing the system to a standstill Wednesday. Such was the congestion, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to ask joyriders to take a train only during the middle of the day, off-peak period. And more policemen will be put on duty at the stations to prevent so commuters from flouting safety instructions, the Times of India reports. New Delhi, a city of 16 million people and 4 million vehicles, suffers from chronic traffic congestion -- a problem the new subway system hopes to relieve. But the first day of public use was beset with problems. Passengers tampered with the automated doors of the train cars, some of the automated ticket machines and entry gates didn't work and trains mostly did not arrive at the promised 15-minute intervals. Officials blamed the delays on passenger interference. ''People are simply curious. But in the presence of more policemen on Thursday, I hope they will follow instructions and would not unnecessarily fiddle with the systems,'' the DMRC's Madan Lal Khurana told the Times of India. Many of the visitors treated the trip to the metro station as a holiday outing with tickets costing up to 7 rupees (16 cents), a price affordable for ordinary Indians. The first eight kilometers of track covers one of Delhi's most congested areas, housing a largely poor, working class population. The plan is eventually to lay some 240 kilometers (150 miles) of track Second
city "I barely slept last night, I was so excited after seeing it on television. I have bought a metro card for 50 rupees ($1) and will travel up and down all day," 16-year-old Siddharth Thakur said. Stage one of the metro was officially opened Tuesday, Christmas Eve, by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was also given the honor of buying the system's first ticket. Construction on the US$1.7-billion first phase of the network began in 1998. Planners estimate that the first phase of the project will carry around two million commuters a day with trains running every three minutes. New Delhi is only the second Indian city to receive a metro rail system, although the capital's network is considerably more high-tech than the one in the eastern city of Kolkata, formerly Calcutta. Long
time coming Initially around 60 train sets will be imported for the system, with a further 180 sets to be built in India itself. With its sparking stations and sleek trains, officials say the new system will be more advanced than the Tokyo or New York subways and on a par with those of Singapore and Hong Kong. The original idea of constructing an underground railway in the Indian capital was first mooted over 50 years ago, but the project became mired in decades of bureaucratic wrangling. In
1998 the project was finally given the go-ahead with stage one,
consisting of some 62 kilometers of track connecting downtown
New Delhi, scheduled for completion by 2005. 1j)
Day 2: Fog saves Delhi Metro from eager public (Asian Age) - By Mayank Tewari New Delhi, Dec. 26: The weather gods rescued the DMRC from yet another public onslaught on Thursday as thick fog and an accompanying chill forced most of the "tourist" masses indoors. The queues for tickets were shorter on Thursday, but a cautious DMRC said it will take at least a week?s time to put things in order. Meanwhile, the DMRC on Thursday booked a number of people for various travel-related offences like littering and vandalism. But the unpreparedness of the DMRC to face a situation like the one witnessed on Wednesday took many a Delhiite by surprise, considering the much-hyped efficiency levels in traffic management and the corporate culture in the corporation. "I have been reading about it since the last few years. Last week, everyday it was on television. Did the DMRC not anticipate this onslaught?" asked Mr Ranjit Baweja, a college student who came to visit the Seelampur station. ?Frankly, I did not expect this onslaught. But what do you do when people press the emergency button so many times just for fun. We have to now suspend it for all Delhiites,? a senior DMRC official said on Thursday. Drivers in many trains on Wednesday complained that they had to attend to a lot of fake emergency calls. Every
coach of the Metro is equipped with an emergency button. When
pressed, the driver attends to the call when the train stops at
the next station. ?The drivers got so many calls and most of them
were fake,? said Mr Satish Kumar, director, DMRC. He said more
sahayaks would be posted to help passengers in case of emergency.
Plainclothes policemen will also be deployed in the stations to ensure safety for women travellers and nab pickpockets. Several cases of pickpocketing and eve teasing were reported at some stations on the first day. Besides, there will be uniformed policemen to ensure that no one damages the property. The
DMRC cash registers netted a total income of Rs 7 lakhs on the
first day from ticket sales. The automatic fare collection system
that had collapsed on Wednesday will need about a week to stabilise,
officials said. Till then, the Metro is going to rely on the age-old
paper tickets which needs manual attention for checking over-travel.
1k)
Local teens give DMRC a headache (Asian Age) Teenagers from nearby areas are giving a headache to the DMRC officials. Not only have these children been found over-travelling, many passengers complained that the children in large groups ran around the train creating a fuss and troubling standing passengers. Many women also complained of eve teasing by the youngsters. "I was surprised to see a 14-year-old trying to touch me in the coach. When I reported it to a policeman at the station, he started beating the boy instead of filing a case," said Archana Gupta, 28, a resident of South Delhi who had gone for a Metro-ride with her brother on Thursday. Foggy weather delays Metro too The foggy conditions delayed the first train by about 18 minutes on Thursday, but DMRC officials said in spite of the slight delay, the trains made more trips throughout Thursday. The trains went slow on Wednesday as the crowds had packed every station and the trains halted for more duration than stipulated. "Also one train had to be taken off in the evening on Wednesday," Mr Satish Kumar said. Sahayaks clueless even on second day The sahayaks in most stations were totally clueless even on the second consecutive day. While the situation remained calm in the morning due to the foggy conditions, by noon many passengers could be seen looking for them. "We are going to give them more training," said Mr Satish Kumar, director, DMRC. In reality, though the sahayaks have been trained to interact with people, they found managing the ticket queues a little difficult. "I did not imagine there will be so many children," said one of them. No instructions please, we are Delhiites Nobody anticipated that an average Delhiite will ignore the written instructions on the coaches. The doors of the coaches could not withstand the pressure of people leaning against them on Wednesday. Now,
the DMRC has deployed its own people inside the coaches, hoping
they would be able to man the gates as well. They would also include
policemen. 1l)
Day 1: Metro too popular for comfort (Indian Express) Express
News Service What had started off as a beautiful ride on the 8.3km-stretch between Shahdara and Tis Hazari early in the morning, turned into an ugly and unmanageable mob by late afternoon. Lakhs of people who had come from all over the Capital were so unruly that three stations ? Shahdara, Seelampur and Tis Hazari ? had to be closed and services grinded to a halt between 7.45 and 8.15pm because the crowds refused to get off the trains at the terminal stations. Late tonight, Metro officials appealed to the people to be more disciplined when they travelled on these trains. They asked people, who just want a joyride, to travel during the afternoon lean hours. An additional company of police will be deployed from tomorrow. In the predictable fisticuffs that broke out this evening, the glass doors at Tis Hazari station were broken. Metro coaches also had to bear the brunt of public impatience and the air-conditioning and door-closing mechanism stopped. Escalators also developed snags because of overloading and people were seen jumping across the rail tracks to change platforms to board the Metro. Complaints of vandalism also came in from the Kashmere Gate station late in the evening. That wasn?t the case at 5am when nine-year old Shazia Hussain had walked in at Tis Hazari station with her family. At that hour, the staff of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had yet to report to their duty. The glass doors of the station were still shut and outside, the fog was thick and the cold was biting. Barely 12 hours later, the over-enthusiastic crowd had broken the same glass doors and extra police from Sabzi Mandi and Civil Lines police stations had to be deployed to regulate the crowd. Trains that have been designed to carry about 1,500 people were forced to stuff in a 2,500-3,000 fervent Christmas Day merry-making crowd. Some got off mid-way because they felt suffocated. With no streamlined movement in and out of the trains, the jam was the worst for those who had come with their families. When the Metro opened for the public, it seemed like a time to cheer after three long and dark Decembers. But with so much damage, systems going bust at all stations and extra police deployment at the end of the day, DMRC didn?t have much to root for. While two lakh people got to travel in the trains today, an estimated 12 lakh tried their best to get a foothold. The queues at the ticket counters, swallowed by the fog, stretched beyond a kilometre. The crowds had become so thick by mid-morning that when Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, visited the station, her contingent was almost drowned in the sea of humans and she herself had to wait almost 20 minutes to board the train. It was only due to the full strength of the DMRC security staff and police personnel that a stampede-like situation was prevented. Even uncrowded stations like Welcome had rush till 8pm. Not realising that more tickets had been sold than the trains could manage, people assembled in the unpaid area were being asked to leave since the services had been stopped for the day. Caught
off-guard and unprepared for this Christmas madness, DMRC could
run only 100-odd of the total 200 runs today, although they have
assured that the services would be on tomorrow. 1m)
Thodi si chak chak on first run (Indian Express) Express
News Service Power
failure: Trains were stopped between stations till it was restored.
Maximum delay due to power cut was 8 minutes. Management
problems: It was impossible to cater to two-three lakh people.
People who got in refused to leave station premises. 1n) Teething problems over, Metro rolls on (Pioneer) Tanu Jain/New Delhi A day after the swanky Metro opened its services for the public of Delhi, the scene at the stations was much better off. The chaos, which reigned supreme on Wednesday was controlled. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr S Raghunathan was also present early in the morning to supervise the operations. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after witnessing the initial hiccups during her visit on Wednesday, said that the people's enthusiasm for the Metro should be suitably channelised. As observed by senior Government officials on Thursday, "Things are in much better shape." Learning from the past day's bitter experience, Delhi Metro officials didn't leave anything for chance, to meet the 'unprecedented rush', which was a common sight at all the six stations, said Sateesh Kumar, Director, Rolling Stock and Electricals. Thursday being a working day, there was not much of a difference in the number of curious passengers thronging the place. At this, Mr Kumar said, "The only difference was that on Wednesday, the crowd had built up since early morning, but on Thursday, it started to build up only around afternoon." In fact, the unpredictable response by more than 2 lakh people who travelled the first day actually took Metro for a ride. There were several cases of vandalism, which authorities took cognisance of. Officials worked all round the night on the technical snags that had developed after a heavy run on Wednesday. As a result, all the four trains were running smoothly, to and fro from Shahdara to Tis-Hazari. "Upto 3 pm, the train which made 52 runs on Wednesday, had satisfactorily made 68 runs, up and down" informed Madhresh Kumar, GM (Operations). "The first train from Shahdara however, was delayed for few minutes due to the fog. We are taking steps to avoid such delays in future," added Mr Kumar. For quick clearance of commuters at the ticket counters, DMRC officials said, paper tickets would continue to be used for first few days. This would be in addition to the tokens and Smart Cards. With the pockets of many commuters being picked, and women passengers becoming easy targets, DMRC has deployed two more companies of Delhi Police, which means an additional strength of 70 personnel. This is supplemented by increased number of security guards and Metro's own sahayaks. "Above all, from Friday, policemen would be inside the coaches, like the way our sahayaks have been in place in the coaches, since Thursday morning, said Mr Kumar. Along with these steps, "We have also isolated the passenger alarm system, after realising that it was one of the reasons for delaying the trains on Wednesday," said Mr Kumar. Actually, people had just fiddled with the system out of curiosity on the first day, due to which the driver was forced to attend to the calls, leading to delay in the run. To overcome a repeat of such a situation, we have instructed our sahayaks to remain inside the coaches for any emergency, said the DMRC officials. After
having been caught off-guard on Wednesday, the DMRC is now all
geared up to handle its teething problems. According to one of
the officials, the euphoria would continue for at least a month. 1o)
Delhiites take the plunge (Hindu) By Our Staff Reporter NEW DELHI DEC. 26. The Delhi Metro proved to be a bundle of joy for Capital's citizens who had waited for it eagerly. Besides its state-of-the-art technology it also exposed them to a culture which would in the years to come become a part and parcel of the life of ordinary Delhiites. Though the rush of people at the stations and the teething troubles came under spotlight on the first day of the public run today, the manner in which crowd control and information dissemination was done in a professional manner through trained security guards, helpers and police personnel, left many impressed. ``They are doing a fine job. We too must realise our responsibility and behave accordingly,'' said Anil Marwah of Rajinder Nagar, who having travelled in Metros abroad, was of the view that there was need for strict enforcement of laws and rules to inculcate discipline in the masses. ``Everyone should be made to feel that the Metro is his own and so if anything wrong happens around him, he must report it,'' said Mr. Marwah, who is the general manager of a travel company. Having come all the way from Rajinder Nagar along with son, Akshit, for the train ride, he also noticed certain discrepancies with the system. "The absence of a buzzer just before the opening or closing of the automatic doors is definitely striking.'' Other passengers to had bits of advise for Delhi Metro. For P.K. Goel, a manager of Hindustan Petroleum, the prime area of concern was absence of seats for the old and infirms on the platforms, while plastic surgeon, Dr. Vishwanath Dudani, said the absence of toilets both within and outside the stations not only inconvenienced commuters, it threaten overall hygiene. But while all these people appeared concern about things which can made a commuters life more comfortable and safer, many of those outside the system were wondering if Metro would ever touch their lives. A tea-stall owner, Usha Singh, who supports her family by operating out of a shack near Shastri Park Theka, said due to the Metro, notices have been served on squatters in the area to move out. "What is most frightening is that alternate accommodation has not been arranged. Where would we go in this cold.'' And Hira Lal, her rival tea-seller, was categorical that he would not be able to take his children on the Metro for want of money. As his children, Sunita, Kirti and Monica looked on somewhat bemused, the man who suffers from physical disability wondered if someday someone would show his children the "Dilli ki shaan'' (pride of Delhi). An area of concern for many passengers is the fare structure. Though it has been fixed by a panel of experts, many said ensuring that the fares are not more than bus fares over any given distance would ensure even better returns for the Metro. But
considering the crowds which the Metro drew on the first day,
this seems very unlikely. 1p)
First day sell-out at Metro (Tribune) Tribune News Service New
Delhi, December 25 Wednesday being a holiday helped but it was the thrill of travelling in the state-of-the-art air-conditioned coaches and satiating their curiosity that tempted many into undertaking the first-day-first-show trip. Delhi, it seemed, had finally arrived. The automatic fare collection system, heavy-duty escalators, special elevators for the physically challenged and automatic doors came under public scrutiny for the first time and the verdict of the ecstatic crowd was a thumbs up for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC.) An estimated 60,000 passengers had travelled within few hours of the Delhi Metro being thrown open to public. ?The response has been overwhelming. Trains are running packed and we had to keep some people at the stations,? the DMRC said. ?It is a new experience. The Metro is quick. It is a welcome change from the dust and grime of travelling in a bus,? exclaimed Sunil Chopra who trudged all the way from Dilshad Garden for a dekko of the sleek coaches. The first day was not without its share of glitches. The automatic fare collection machines would not accept tickets. Elevators would get stuck. And the rush clearly got the better of the DMRC staff. All that was forgotten the moment passengers boarded the train. The frequency of trains was every seven minutes. Thirteen minutes was all it took to travel the 8.3 kilometres between Shahdara and Tis Hazari. The frequency, however, would be reduced to three minutes after Phase I of the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) was completed. Besides the popular verdict, critical acclaim came DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan?s way when Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar felicitated him and his team at a reception hosted in their honour. On the occasion the minister said the draft National Urban Transport Policy was ready and would be presented to the Union Cabinet shortly. ?If all goes well,? he said, ?in the next decade 35 cities with one million population would move towards mass rapid transport system.? The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Banglaore was 40 per cent complete and would be finished by March-end. Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and the Cochin-Thiruvananthapuram and Kanpur-Lucknow Metros were next in the pipeline. About
the Unified Transport Policy for NCT of Delhi, the minister said
he was in favour of a concept like London Metro where a person
buying a ticket could also travel by road. ?The idea is it should
be user friendly,? he said. 1q)
Vandals deface rake, let off with warning (HT) HT
Correspondent "Few
people were caught to drive home the message that one has maintain
discipline in Metro," said a DMRC official. But despite tight
security, 12 people traveled on the Metro after sneaking into
the station. They were, however, caught by private security guards.
Eight persons were caught by security guards at Welcome station
and 4 at Seelampur. 1r)
Metro?s reach beyond Shahdara-Tis Hazari (HT) Chetan
Chauhan Daily commuters from colonies several kilometres away from metro stations like Krishna Nagar, Preet Vihar, Gonda, Yamuna Vihar and Anand Vihar reached metro stations either in their own vehicles or buses and then boarded the metro. For most of them, it will now be a daily affair. They realised that at least two main congestion points ? the Shahdara-Krishna Nagar crossing and the Seelampur-GT Road intersection ? can be avoided avoided through Metro. Office-goers said it took just 15 minutes to reach Kashmere Gate from Shahdara bus stop on the Metro. The same distance in a bus takes around 30 minutes. Most daily passengers got down at the Kashmere Gate station as it has a local bus terminal, from where buses to all parts of the city originate. One of the exit gates of the Metro opens bang opposite to the terminal. Consequently, the rush of passengers at Kashmere Gate was much more than that at Tis Hazari. Metro
trains ran on full capacity on Thursday, and mostly smoothly.
"Much more people are travelling in metro than we expected,"
said Director (Rolling Stock) Satish Kumar. 1s)
End to commuting problems in sight? (HT) HT
Correspondent Tickets are being issued in place of electronic tokens. On Wednesday many people had made off with the tokens. Only those who buy smart cards will be allowed to pass through the automated turnstiles. From Thursday, passengers disembarking at Shahdara or Tis Hazari stations were being escorted out of the stations to ensure that they did not take free rides. At the other stations, barricades have been erected to prevent passengers from crossing from one platform to another. "The passenger flow at all the stations is being regulated manually," said director (rolling stock) Satish Kumar. The average frequency of trains was 10-12 minutes as compared to Wednesday's 20-25 minutes. A hundred trips had been completed by 8.30 p.m., compared to Wednesday's 80. Apprehending crowd trouble, 70 additional policemen and 60 private security guards have been deployed. Women police constables are also being deployed. All the trains ran on Thursday. Maintenance work, mainly on the doors that had malfunctioned, was carried out on Wednesday night. DMRC officials said passengers had vandalised the Metro. "People had removed gas-kits and the adjustment of most of the doors was affected," an official said, requesting passengers not to lean on the doors. On a few trips, trains were allowed to run with some open doors. Personnel were deployed to man them. DMRC
admitted that operation of trains got delayed because of fog but
added that from trains would be punctual. 1t)
Fog delays flights, trains; Metro fares no better (HT) HT
Correspondent It wasn't the cold that froze Delhi and stopped the Metro, though. The fog, caused by Tuesday's showers, had wrapped itself around the city since well before dawn, and rush-hour traffic crawled with headlights - sometimes parking lights as well - on. People travelling from east Delhi complained the bridges over the Yamuna had disappeared altogether. Supratim Sarkar of Ghaziabad said he returned home around 8.30 a.m. as he dared not drive blind over the Nizamuddin Bridge. The first Metro rake could crawl out of Shahdara only at 6.20, twenty minutes behind schedule ? the second delayed start in two days of the service. At the airport, chaos ruled. The first flight took off at 10 minutes past noon, nearly six hours behind schedule. The first flight landed an hour later. Till 5.45 p.m., Indian Airlines (IA) had confirmed 23 delayed flights. IA cancelled four take-offs, Jet Airways six. IA cancelled the Kathmandu-Delhi and Mumbai-Delhi arrivals. Almost no long distance train arrived on time. Delays stretched to 10 hours, including the Rajdhanis and Shatabdis. Railway officials said there was thick fog over several parts of north India. Train delays in the past two days have had a cascading effect, leading to the rescheduling of several trains. On Thursday, the Patna-bound Magadh Express, the Jharkhand Express, Satyagraha Express, Jaisalmer Express and Howrah-Janata Express were rescheduled. Coming to grips with the Metro STEADIES UP: No glitches on Thursday. Metro ran smoothly, carrying over 2 lakh commuters including these children. HABITS
DIE HARD: 12 people were fined for travelling without tickets
and some were caught defacing Metro property. 1u)
Irritants fail to put off Metro fans on Day 2 (TOI) ANURADHA MUKHERJEE TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2002 10:41:11 PM ] While most came especially for a ride, there were some who had used the Metro for more practical purposes. Ankit Jain and his uncle M K Jain own a shop in Sadar Bazar. They decided to take the Metro for their return trip to Kailash Nagar. "We have all bought smart cards for Rs 200 each. Its much easier to travel like this," said Ankit. But his uncle felt there should be provision for a separate ladies? compartment just like in the Mumbai Suburban Rail. "If the trains are crowded like this, there should be a portion reserved for women," he said. But there were others who felt the Delhi Metro was years ahead of any other mode of transport in the country. Mumbai resident Mushtaq Ahmed who is visiting relatives in Nabi Karim said the Metro was qualitatively much better than the suburban rail in Mumbai. Roshni Siddiqui from Meerut, travelling with mother Naseem Ishrat, could not help ruing that such a facility was not available in her city. "To travel on Metro is like being transported to a foreign land. Installing escalators was a thoughtful move," said Ishrat. Also most commuters on Thursday seemed to be more aware of the dos and don?ts. In fact, some even complained that implementation of security and other norms was not very strict. "Nobody is telling the people to mind the yellow line. Forget security checks, nobody is even checking the tickets. Will the Metro become like everything else in the city?" wondered Praveen Kumar of Shakti Nagar. He also felt that complaint and suggestion books should be available at the stations. "Whom do I approach if I have to make a complaint against a personnel posted at the station," he asked. While the crowd was under control on Thursday, passengers were confused by the arrangements made for entry to and exit from stations. At Tis Hazari and Shahdara, passengers were being made to leave the station and enter again. While DMRC officials said this was to make sure that the system was emptied from time to time, passengers at Tis Hazari said they had to cross the foot over bridge and emerge on the other side of the road. "You then have to take the subway and re-enter the station," said R K Jain of Lawrence Road. Little irritants apart, most seemed to think the Metro was something wonderful to happen to the city. "It?s nice to be away from the traffic, grime and pollution," said Jitender Popli of Tilak Nagar. Last
heard: A group of DU students were discussing whether they would
be able to take the Metro as students. "Will they have individual
stops for colleges," wondered Kasturi of Miranda House college.
"I have so much news for my mother. I boarded a ladies? special
bus and am going to ride the Metro. It?s unbelievable," said
Shweta of Hindu College. 1v)
More joyrides, fewer problems (TOI) ANURADHA MUKHERJEE TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2002 01:06:40 AM ] By 4 pm on Thursday evening, the four trains had conducted 70 trips and over 105,000 commuters had boarded them. Many people were there to get a joyride like on Wednesday, but there was no pandemonium despite the fact that commuters queued up outside counters, where ticket distribution was slow and paper tickets were being were handed out. Another problem was the lack of an announcement system to guide passengers on the stations. Even the public address system on some trains failed to announce an approaching station. But with Thursday a working day, there was respite for rail personnel. On Wednesday, more than 200,000 commuters had boarded the trains, while 12 lakh people swamped the six stations. Over Rs 7 lakh of revenue was generated on the first day of the service, which fell on Christmas day. But for the second day in a row, the first train from Shahdara station failed to leave on time. It was 30 minutes late. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials said this was due to heavy fog. The trains are yet to be fitted with the CAB signalling system that transmits signals through the tracks and is helpful in poor visibility. DMRC officials said they made up for the delay later in the day. "The average frequency of the trains is about 10 to 12 minutes," said DMRC director (rolling stock and signalling) Satish Kumar. "We may start the trains 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time to tide over the gap." DMRC officials admitted there was a technical snag that led to the failure of the public address systems on some trains. "The problem has been brought to our notice and will be rectified by tomorrow," said Kumar. He said paper tickets would be used for the initial week before the automatic fare machines were properly calibrated. "Our aim is to empty the stations fast," said DMRC chief spokesperson Anuj Dayal. But there was some discontent at the overall security at the stations. Many passengers felt it was slack and that security norms should have been more stringent. "Nobody is being frisked, nor is baggage being scanned. They should be very strict right from the start," said Jeetendra Popli of Tilak Nagar. Delhi Police has offered an additional force of 70 personnel. DMRC has also hired 60 more guards, apart from 200 sahayaks. DMRC officials said starting on Friday, they would start fining people and implement security norms stringently. Two trains that were pulled out on Wednesday after they developed technical problems were back in action today. DMRC officials said there was a problem with the doors of one of the trains as the rubber gasket had been pulled out. The weight of people leaning on the doors also led to erratic behaviour. TOI
Comment: The vandalism one saw on Wednesday had belied expectations
that the spanking new Metro would instil a sense of pride among
Delhiites; indeed that it would usher in a whole new commuter
culture. Hopefully, all is not lost yet. 2)
Curiosity for the Metro will last a month: Khurana (TOI) TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2002 07:48:44 PM ] The Metro is a new thing for the people of Delhi. Originally we had hoped about two lakh would turn up on the first day. More than one million did. Curiosity and the fact that it was a holiday on December 25 brought them there. It is a novelty for Delhi'ites, something like Appu Ghar (the amusement park). The novelty factor is expected to remain at least for a month, even more. And this is only six per cent of the Metro, 94% is still to be completed. Do you foresee glitches on the way hereon? At least we will have no money problems for the Dwarka phase to be completed by 2005. The Cabinet sub-committee under Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani has sanctioned Rs 10,000 crore and with Rs 1,200 crore in tax exemption, we have enough funds. Q) The Metro has got caught in a political tussle between the BJP and Congress, and your appointment as DMRC chairman has been controversial. How do you react? A) A Calcutta viewer pointed out on a television programme where I was present with Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit that it is actually a demotion for me. But when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home Minister L.K Advani said 'you have to take over', I accepted. I have great love and affection for Delhi. Over the last 50 years we have seen Delhi as the only big city to depend solely on road transport. There is the pressure of ever-increasing traffic, but no alleviation of the problem. The issue has been alive since a committee took this up in 1960, and late Congress leader Jag Parvez Chandra had also raised it, but the Central governments were not responsive. When I became Delhi CM we decided to complete the metro project. The company was set up in May 1994, tied-up with Japan in 1995, the land was acquired and work began on October 2 1998. How can Congress Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit claim that the Congress government has achieved this? She took over on December 19 1998. When you cook a meal, you need the atta, the dal, the vegetables , get it all together, knead the dough. After we had put the roti on the tawa to cook, the Congress came in. When we were in power in Delhi we tried hard to make the Congress government at the Centre to cooperate. It was only when the Vajpayee government took over at the Centre that things began to move. The Metro project would have been on course regardless of who is in power in Delhi. Dikshit did this because she is CM, she had to complete the work. So you see the Metro as trophy... Yes the Metro is a trophy for the BJP, our party's achievement. Dikshit claims it is hers...so why did it not happen before in the 50 years that her party ruled the country? But don't you think the political bickering is robbing India's most advanced mass rapid transit system of its grandeur? Yes. Now we should abandon the political pow-wow. The Congress objected to the fact that our advertisements did not carry photographs of the Shiela Dikshit. But then their ads had only the CM. This whole political bickering was started by Dikshit. As students we read a poem that said 'Shahjahan got the praise for the Taj Mahal we built'. On our part we felicitated (Metro managing director) E Sreedharan's team. We said Sreedharan's name will forever be part of Delhi's history. They ask why I, a non-technical person, am heading the Metro project. Well, I have a technical man in my managing director. What will your role as DMRC chairman entail? I see my role as something that a bureaucrat man can't do. I can get a signature from Vajpayeeji or Advaniji, where a bureaucrat can only sit and push files. I can use this position to get quick results. I didn't ask for this job, they entrusted me with it. So it's my job to cut the red tape, a result-oriented role to make sure that there are no hurdles like there have been before. I see another role. The metro is a long-term project to be completed only by 2021. By then Delhi's population will be more than two crore. We will need something beyond the metro, or else the situation will be a bumper-to-bumper one. We have to ensure that where the metro doesn't go we have alternatives. In 1982 we had had tried the ring railway project during the Asian games. But the plan was withdrawn because the connecting DTC buses every 10 minutes could not be ensured. I now want to revive that scheme. There was another plan for an elevated transport system. We wouldn't have to spend anything. It would be built entirely over the existing ring road. Jagdish Tytler as a Congress central minister had said yes to this but the minister who replaced him scrapped it. We intend to revive the plan if the Delhi government agrees, or wait for when we come to power. All this will need Centre-state coordination, including the railways and urban development ministries, and the Delhi government which controls DTC. Only then can we solve Delhi's road congestion problems in the next 15 years. You have also been handed the reins of the party unit in Delhi. How do you rate the BJP's chances in the Assembly elections next year? We will win easily. Delhi's people face two problems. Land and police are under the control of the Central government. I have drawn up a list of problems faced by Delhi'ites related to the Central government. In the next five months I want these problems to be solved so that people know that only the BJP can get work done. My appointment is not a big promotion. I was Delhi unit president from 1985-90 too. We lost the last corporation elections. Then, when strategy was being planned for elections to nine states next year, it was felt I should take over in Delhi as part of changes made in several states. Delhi politics depends largely on the Centre. People in Delhi should feel that only the BJP can solve their problems. For effective governance it is important to have the same party in power at the Centre and in Delhi. We also plan a chargesheet against the Delhi government on various development issues and then an agitation. It is fashionable to describe BJP leaders as moderates or hardliners. How Does Madan Lal Khurana describe Madan Lal Khurana? I take Vajpayeeji's line. I feel you can get votes on sentiments only sometimes. Longer-term gains come from development issues being solved. Do you then rule out repeating the BJP's Gujarat experiment in Delhi? Yes,
absolutely. Delhi is a mini-India, it has all kinds of people
unlike Gujarat. In Delhi cultural nationalism is an issue. And
achievements count, development counts. 3)
Police stations just for Metro (Indian Express) Chitra
Subramanyam ??These will not be the railway police. Instead, they will have a separate insignia of the Metro Police,?? senior police officials said. According to them, there will be two police stations along the Shahadra-Barwala line. A five-storey police station is under construction at Shastri Park. Police officials said this will be responsible for any crime which is committed on Metro line. To ensure safety, specially that of women, along the route, precautions are being taken. ??We will depute a number of police personnel at the stations. If any case of molestation, mugging or robbery takes place on the train, the emergency button, which connects the passenger to the driver, should be used. If a crime has taken place, the driver will stop at the next station. The train will not move till the matter is resolved,?? a police officer said. He added that the driver can also seal the Metro doors, ensuring that the assailants cannot escape. ??At present, an additional DCP is handling safety on the Metro. As and when possible, a DCP will be put in charge of the Metro. He will be working with a staff of ACPs as well as other sub-ordinates,?? sources said. Each station will also have a police post, the staff of which will report to the main police station. Police
officers feel that a Metro-specific crime is something that they
can expect as it is another form of public transport. But, with
their precautions in place, they are confident of tackling any
problem. 4)
Trams, ring rail on Metro chief Khurana?s mind (Indian Express) Express
News Service ??They are still relevant and complementary to the Metro and not an alternative to it,?? he said today. He denied that he prefers trams to the Metro. His first job as Metro chairman would be to push for a common ticketing system for buses and trains. Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar said he was keen on integrating road and rail transport as is in London. There will be common tickets for this transport system, he said. The ring railway and trams would be fine links to Metro, he said. Khurana said the ring railway was sanctioned during Asian Games and Delhi government had allotted Rs 35 crore for it. But the project was dropped. ??My job will be to get the Centre, Delhi government and Metro Rail together on how to develop this and other link systems to the Metro,?? he said. Khurana recalled his pet tram scheme which was taken up decades ago. The then Urban Development Minister Jagdish Tytler had agreed to his proposal and they had visited nine countries to collect information on the system. But the proposal was shelved after Tytler left the ministry, he said. Khurana
said today that his role as DMRC chairman was not a case of political
downsizing. ??It is a job given to me and I am doing it,?? he
said. ??I have served as BJP vice president in charge of large
states like Gujarat and yet I chose to serve Delhi which is so
small,?? he said. 5)
No strangers on these trains (Indian Express) Mini
Kapoor Hah! In minutes cars begin rolling in, flustered fathers parking cars any which way, mothers throwing around an extra muffler on their wards. It?s clearly babies? day out. Roller coaster rides are passe, tunnel vision is the rage. As a smiling brood of Metro workers and volunteers throw open the doors, guiding us two flights up ? there?s an escalator for the less energetic ? to the ticket counter, one question echoes: ?Is there half-fare for children?? Volunteers, struggling to straighten clusters of passengers into orderly queues, point to a bar ahead. It?s not about age, anyone under a certain height gets in free. For the rest, it?s a toss-up between a Rs 7 blue token to Shahdara, or a Rs 200 smart card. Either way, the ticket is touched to a little screen and the path to the platform clears. Where the rituals of Delhi?s Metro are already evolving. Mind the yellow line, say cops and ?Metro Sahayaks?, stay behind it. And a game begins. The crowd, now rapidly building up, as 6 o?clock, the time of scheduled departure, ticks by, plays a round of footsie. Toes quietly inch forward, only to quickly pull back in unison when a giggling volunteer patrols by. A Delhi Police officer decides that sterner cautions are warranted. ?Fifty rupees fine for those stepping beyond,? he hisses. ?That?s it?? query dozens of raised eyebrows. ?Don?t worry, we will raise it if you break the rule too much,? he chuckles. (It is perhaps not so much the seemingly paltry fine that fails to ward off potential offenders, but the innocuous drop to an immaculately clean and rather level railtrack.) 6.20 am. The train?s still not arrived, the wait is now three rows deep. This iron grid could demolish distance and bind Delhi more securely but right now it is instead witnessing a generous round of city bonding. Bios are exchanged ? they have come from all over, from Ashok Vihar, from Rohini, from South Extension ? and by the time TV crews appear to begin their questioning, answers have been well-rehearsed and ages of accompanying kids reeled off without the slightest provocation. Stats are being exchanged like holiday greetings. 8.3 km, in its first Tis Hazari-Shahdara stretch. 13 minutes end to end. Four stations in between. 30 seconds door-open time. 160 volunteers for six weeks, to acquaint commuters with the geography of the Metro. The technology leap-frogged, and on and on. Resolves to upgrade the city?s civic image too are being made with a new year?s eve vengeance. This is Yamuna-paar?s pride, says one. No, cries another, it is the entire city?s pride. India?s, amends another, but is drowned out amid new resolutions. It is now up to us, it is our duty to keep the Metro clean, says a twenty-something painter. Someone cribs about teething glitches, and she immediately squares her shoulders, it?s because of this complaining attitude that things never get done. The networks too won?t brook criticism. ?Nahin, yeh nahin chalega!? snaps a cameraman and switches off his recorder when a young man talks of a delay on the very first day. In the meanwhile, a guard on the opposite platform is all aflutter. Two minutes and the train will be here, he calls out. One minute... suddenly a deafening cheer crescendoes. The train from Shahdara has arrived, its passengers waving frantically to us before they disembark, a roar less audible than visible from a Santa Claus in their midst. A
couple of minutes, and another cheer goes up. Our train, steered
by a woman driver, has arrived at last. Seats are bagged on board,
only to be quickly offered to those left standing. It?s as much
courtesy as an urge to check out other bogeys and drop curtesies
to the capital?s iron rooster. 6)
Dwarka work to begin by Jan. end (Hindu) By Our Staff Reporter NEW DELHI DEC. 26. The hero of Delhi Metro, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director, E. Sreedharan, today announced that work on the 23.7-km-long Dwarka-Connaught Place corridor will begin by the end of next month and the entire stretch will be completed in a time-bound manner. Talking to reporters at a function organised at the Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar's residence here to felicitate Mr. Sreedharan and his core Metro team for the clinical execution of Delhi's dream project, the DMRC Managing Director said soil testing of the entire stretch is almost complete and the construction work would begin by January-end. Describing the completion of first corridor as only a beginning, Mr. Sreedharan said he was happy that Delhiites had been provided with a safe, affordable and user-friendly mode of transport. Stating that the biggest challenge in the execution of the project was acquisition of land and getting the technology for the project, Mr. Sreedharan said his core team assisted by the foreign consultants got the best of everything for the project which included coaches from Korea and signalling equipment from Germany and other European countries. He said work on the project had been lined up in such a manner that every six to eight months some new corridor would be thrown open to public. He attributed the successful implementation to the hard work put in by the officials and employees of the Corporation who toiled day in and day out to ensure that things went according to plan and the deadlines were adhered to. Mr. Sreedharan said the equipment used in this project including the tracks, signalling system, rolling stock and electronic mechanism was the best in the world and of the highest standards. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ananth Kumar said it was due to the efforts, dedication, commitment and work culture shown by Mr. Sreedharan that this project had been completed on time and thrown open to the people of Delhi. Applauding the effort and energy put in by the Managing Director, the Union Urban Development Minister said not only Delhi but the entire country was proud of Mr. Sreedharan. "His marvellous feat in constructing the Konkan Railway, which was a feat of engineering, is an outstanding example of the man who has retired from services but is still not tired,'' he added. Mr. Ananth Kumar said requests had also been received from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, to develop the Kanpur-Lucknow corridor as a Metro project. "Similarly, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, had approached us for starting Metro Rail work in Ahmedabad.'' Apart from this, 40 per cent of the work on preparing the detailed Project Report for Metro Rail for Bangalore has been completed and the final DPR would be submitted by March-end. The job of preparing the DPR has also been entrusted to Mr. Sreedharan, he added. The newly-appointed DMRC Chairman, Madan Lal Khurana, said he would take up the matter of re-developing the Ring Railway with the Union Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, shortly. Mr. Khurana said it was important that the present Ring Railway be developed from Lajpat Nagar to Lajpat Nagar and not till Patel Nagar as had been suggested earlier. This would ease a lot of pressure on road transport and also act as a feeder to the Metro Rail stations which are located nearby some of the Ring Railway stations. Also
present on the occasion was Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai
Kapoor. The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and the Transport
Minister, Ajay Maken, were conspicuous by their absence. 7)
X-mas reverie on Metro (Hindu) By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI DEC. 26. It was an unusual Christmas celebration for children who travelled by the Metro on its first public run here today. Apart from the thrill of a joyride, they had in their midst a Santa Claus who went around distributing toffees and chocolates to the wide-eyed young ones. Carrying a bagful of goodies, Rakesh Sharma of Som Vihar, a businessman by profession, went from station to station with his Rs. 50 unlimited daily travel coupon wishing all and sundry a "Merry Christmas''. ``Since Delhi Metro has turned our lives around, I thought I too should chip in my bit and do something unique to make this a memorable day for all visitors. So what better idea than become Santa Claus on Christmas!'' said the 30-year-old man who wore a red-and-white striped coat, trousers and cap along with a white beard and moustache. Having purchased five packets of toffees and chocolates, he headed straight for Shahdara station near his house to be there in time for the first train. "I faced no problems carrying in the sweets. But I requested the children and people not to throw the wrappers on the ground.'' He was greeted by most passengers and at several places children walked up to him to shake hands. As a result, he soon ran out of sweets. Still he went around waving to all and greeting them with the jingle of bells he held in his hands. A
devout Hindu, Rakesh said he respects all religions. Deriding
the slogan-shouting BJP workers at Shahdara station just before
the first train left at 6-21 this morning, he said one should
refrain from doing anything which creates fear in the minds of
people belonging to any community. As for himself, he held: "I
am religious and that is a good thing. But one must respect all
religions and that is the only message I wish to spread. Besides,
it gives me great satisfaction to bring a smile on the faces of
children -- both small and grown up -- I interact with.'' 8) Other News 8a)
Chopper for traffic cops! (Pioneer) Beset with the ever burgeoning traffic woes on Delhi roads, the Delhi Traffic Police has come out with a grandiose idea to maintain surveillance on the city's traffic. Touted as the panacea to the jams on the roads, the police wants to own a helicopter for traffic surveillance, purchase breath analysers, red speed cameras, laser radar guns and interceptors. Delhi Traffic Police has reasons for purchasing the helicopter for maintaining surveillance on the chaotic traffic. It has been found wanting in de-congesting the roads during peak hours. Delhi Traffic Police Chief Maxwell Pereira, has penned the difficulty, which his men and officers face while controlling traffic. Mr Pereira who is on leave, has outlined his priorities for improving the traffic in the Delhi Police's annual review booklet. "With the rapid growth of urban settlements, the traffic and transport system of Delhi is bursting at the seams. Delhi, the national Capital has been experiencing rapid demographic changes during the past few decades. This growth in traffic is reflected in terms of population size, economic activities and physical extent. In order to cope with the ever growing traffic of the Capital, certain immediate steps are needed", Mr Pereira wrote. This is precisely the reason, the traffic police wants to buy a helicopter. It has been deemed handy for surveying the traffic from the skies. Though the idea has few takers in the Delhi Police itself. A senior police officer said, Traffic Police should regulate the traffic on Delhi roads first. Most of the times, traffic police personnel are busy prosecuting the goods and commercial vehicles, rather than taking care of the moving traffic. Delhi Traffic Police has implemented "High Cost Traffic Management Measures". It includes Computerised Area Traffic Control System, installation of vehicle actuated traffic signals, synchronisation of more traffic corridors, installation of new traffic signals and blinkers, Digital Reverse Counters and introduction of LEDs. Officers
claimed that these systems are working on 46 corridors, yet the
jams on the roads are daily affairs. 8b)
For the Metro-shy, 100 CNG buses flagged off (Tribune) Tribune News Service New
Delhi, December 26 Officials of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) breathed easy on Day 2 as the crowds had all but disappeared and with it vandalism. The Kashmere Gate station wore a forlorn look Thursday morning. Only a few thousand passengers had been ferried till about 9 am. People commuting to their places of work were pleasantly surprised as seats were still to be taken after they boarded the train. The first casualty of Wednesday?s stampede though has been the much-hyped ticketing system. Paper tickets were in, tokens out. Security had been beefed up. Police personnel could be seen keeping a tight vigil for any untoward incident. The DMRC said tokens would be issued only after commuters had understood how the automated ticket collection system worked. ?It will take a week or so before we re-introduce the tokens ? it will be paper tickets till such time,? said an official. Two companies of Delhi Police personnel, numbering 200, will be deployed from Friday. ?This will ensure that public is not able to damage the trains or its facilities,? said the official. The emergency system on the train will also be immobilised for a few days. ?The system was created so that a passenger could speak to the driver in case of a medical emergency, but it was misused,? he said. The first train rolled out twenty minutes past six. Barring minor technical flaws, the service continued without further disruption. For Arun Bhatnagar, who boarded the train from Kashmere Gate, the ride on the Metro was a welcome change. ?I find it comfortable than travelling by road. I need not get into crowded buses anymore,? he said before leaving for Shahdara. The vandalism and stampede had taken their toll on the coaches but they were done up overnight for Thursday?s run. ?The staff worked on the coaches in the yard after the service was terminated at 10 pm yesterday,? said the official. There was good news for those still to be bitten by the Metro bug as Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) introduced new buses. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagged off 100 CNG buses at the DTC?s Headquarters at Indraprastha Depot. ?With the Metro and still more buses,? she said on the occasion, ?Delhi now has a comprehensive transport plan.? Delhi, she said, had the distinction of being the only Capital in the world where public transport was running on CNG. DTC has 2,241 buses in its fleet. The chief minister said 900 more buses would be introduced in the next few months. Transport
Minister Ajay Maken, in turn, said DTC had improved its operational
performance and revenue by 30 per cent. 8c)
Carrying BJP's Capital comeback hopes (TOI) 9)
Bangalore Metro rail picks up speed (TOI) K.R. SREENIVAS TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2002 12:37:17 AM ] The detailed report for the East-West corridor of the Bangalore Metro rail project is expected by March 31, 2003. And work might be kicked off the very next day - April 1 - if all goes well. The Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has undertaken the survey on behalf of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which has been awarded work by the Karnataka government to build the Bangalore Metro rail. DMRC Adviser S.N. Venkat Rao told The Times of India the Rs 4,000-crore project comprises East-West and North-South corridors and is to be completed in five years. The twin-track metro line will be similar to the one in Delhi - fully electric and automatic. The 18-km East-West corridor between Mysore Road and Byappanahalli - traversing through Vijayanagar, Magadi Road, Kempegowda Road, Dr Ambedkar Road, Vidhana Soudha, Queen?s Road, MG Road, CMH Road and Old Madras Road - will have 19 stations. The terminuses will come up near the junction of Mysore Road-Banashankari Ring Road and Byappanahalli near NGEF line. RITES General Manager (Urban Transport) Imtiaz Ahmed said the "physical survey" - including details of utilities like water supply, sewer, telephone and electrical lines - was completed 15 days ago. "The tentative alignment has been finalised. Some fine-tuning needs to be done," Rao added. The ongoing RITES? traffic survey to ascertain people?s willingness to use the system will be completed in 20 days. "After this, we will start scientific modelling, which gives us a clear picture of the number of trips required along this corridor." RITES has started physical survey for the 18-km North-South corridor between Yeshwanthpur and J.P. Nagar VI Phase, covering Iskcon Temple, West of Chord Road, Rajajinagar, Malleswaram, Navrang theatre, Raja Mill (Sampige Road), Majestic, Chickpet, Balepet, Akkipet, City Market, under Sirsi flyover, K.R. Road, Basavanagudi, Lalbagh, R.V. Road, Jayanagar IV Block Complex and J.P. Nagar. The survey is expected to be completed in 20 days. The East-West and North-South corridors will intersect at Majestic, where commuters can change trains. Rao said the project covers more areas than the originally planned Rs 3,000-crore one-line ELRTS between Vijayanagar and Indiranagar. Tickets will be priced on a par with BTMC Pushpak bus fares. A final decision will be made after consulting the Karnataka government. It
has been proposed to form a company, fashioned on the lines of
DMRC,whose constituents will be finalised when DMRC Managing Director
E. Sreedharan holds a meeting with the Karnataka government officials
on Saturday. The DMRC will make a presentation to Chief Secretary
A. Ravindra.
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