0611metro

The city and the suburb

2011-06-27T18:13:00.003+05:30

Yesterday on the Guragon-Delhi highway we spotted a landmark - the 32nd milestone. This was popular hang out joint with school and college kids till the 90's. It was also outside the city. Really far. So far that no buses went there. You had to borrow car. Or have a friend who could borrow a car.

Twenty years ago we had a clear definition of where the city ended. In the case of Delhi it was the Mehrauli towards the south. No one really knew what lay beyond. Maybe farmland. Or jungles.

Even with the coming up of Gurgaon we knew that there was a vast area in between Delhi and the new township. Gurgaon was a suburb. It even had a colony called South City. Delhi was the City. And there was jungle in between.

However with more and more villages getting urbanized on the Mehrauli Guragoan road and Gurgaon sprouting skyscrapers right till the border, this definition has become blurred. If one looks down when one is coming to land at Delhi airport one can see that urban dwellings are often continous or at least there is similar mix of houses and trees similar to other parts of Delhi.

One cannot really say anymore Here is where the city ends.

And it is not really that the city is expanding. It is merging with the suburb. One can see this on the metro. As one travels along the Gurgaon line (or NOIDA) one does not think for a moment that one is crossing into another state or city anymore.

Twenty years ago we would say - Oh you are living in Gurgaon ? Today one doesn't really think about it as a place that is far away.

The funny thing is that it takes longer to get there today compared to then.

Now we can go to the markets on Sunday...

2010-09-29T11:03:00.004+05:30

...Monday,Tuesday and all the other days ending with Y.

I had written somewhen about how the metro has revived CP. A lot of people now drop in to shop and walk around the area - something that was unimaginable five years ago.

Now with the opening of the Gurgaon and Badarpur lines many other markets are within reach - Khan market, Lajpat Nagar and Dilli Haat. The latter has already seen a huge increase in footfalls within a month of the metro line being launched.

One of the problems in markets was parking space and people would avoid going to CP for this reason. Many prefer a tradition market like Karol Bagh or Lajpat Nagar but were often dissuaded by the traffic on the roads. But with the metro this is no longer an issue. Also since the trains run regulary and on time (unlike buses) one can choose when to go and shop.

Add the traffic restrictions around the Commonwealth Games this a good time to hop onto the metro. No more blue lanes to avoid and the shock of watching traffic cops actually do their job :)

35 years of Global Warming

2010-08-27T13:27:00.009+05:30

No. Am not saying that the earth has been warming up for 35 years.

Someone used this term in a research paper in 1975. And we have been thinking, talking and debating ever since. Most of us still disagree about the extent to which man is causing climate change and many of us concede that as an individual we cannot make a change.

If we look at our day to day activities, I am sure that we can identify one thing we could change every month that would have a positive impact on the environment.

In unrelated news the Gurgaon Metro line will open in September. Maybe we can ditch our cars each time we have to go mall shopping :)

cartoon: www.zunal.com

People who came to Delhi

2010-08-19T11:10:00.007+05:30

A friend of mine had once remarked that Delhi is run by three or four groups and the aim should be to quickly fit into one of them. He was talking about social success. Traveling on the metro one can see faces of people from different age groups and communities who have made this city their home.

This set me thinking - much like the 7 cities of Delhi, several groups people have come to this city in waves and this makes living here an interesting experience.

I can think of some :

1. The pre 1911ers - These are people who lived in the villages - Mehrauli, Humayunpur, Chirag Dilli, Nizamuddin and also in Purani Dilli. Mostly they were separated from each other - each community managing their own affairs.

2. The Capital Magnets - New Delhi's foundation stone was laid in 1911 and it took twenty years to build it. During this time many groups moved in - government officials, contractors and construction workers. The first settled in civil lines, they second took up housing in the expanding new city while the third went to places like Karol Bagh.

3. Partition's Children - In the first decade of Independence the population of the city doubled with refugees coming in from Pakistan. They have become the most vocal and visible group. They gave the city its familiar Punjabi character distinct from the predominant groups of that time - baniyas, muslims, rajputs and jats. They started the roadside - patri - shops selling items and cheap rates to other refugees who could not afford to buy from the shops in Connaught Place. We can see offshoots of these roadside shops in Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar.

4. Sarkari babus - we needed them to run the the new independent country. Areas like Lodi Colony and R K Puram were developed to create housing colonies for these families.

5. B & B - biharis and later the bangladeshis who provide the work force to the city now. Most of the city after the 80's have been built by the former and the houses are run today by the later.

Of course in the last decade we have people coming in to work in the IT industry. And students have been coming to the city various colleges for decades. Just that they are now coming from remote corners of the country.

Any other faces that you can recognize in the metro ?

Unpaving roads

2010-08-17T21:07:00.003+05:30

The United States is going through a debate where many of their roads are being torn apart. That's right. Their paved roads are being turned into gravel.

Of course the numbers are very small as of now but economist Paul Krugman has chosen to highlight this as the decline of a nation. He says:

We’re told that we have no choice, that basic government functions — essential services that have been provided for generations — are no longer affordable.

Of course, the reason why some roads have been turned to gravel in the US is that they are no longer in use. Highways provide better rides and connectivity and these back roads that were important at some time are no longer used regularly.

Still for most of us in India this system would NOT come as surprise. Here we have been turning paved roads into gravel every year. That way contractors and politicians make money regularly. And they can claim that they have created thousands of jobs each year.

Wonder what Krugman would say about our system?

2010-06-21T08:39:00.004+05:30

A shorter line from Gurgaon to Qutub Minar is set to open this week but already there is trouble ahead.

Three words - Parking Not Available.

Yes. You got that right.

They have got the Metro to Gurgaon and solved the problem for the thousands who work in glass cages that pretend to be buildings. But where would the Gurgaon resident park his car if he wants to take a ride?

This has been a problem even in Delhi where most stations do not have any parking. But the explanation for this is that (one) there is no space and (two) people can use rickshaws or walk to the station. In places where a station is serving a large area like Dwarka, Metro has feeder buses.

In Gurgaon too large parts of the city are far away from the metro line and can only be serviced by buses. But metro officials are not planning to start any feeder buses and point out that it is the state officials who are responsible for this. The funny thing is that they've spent thousands of crores of rupees to get Gurgaon connected, but not have the lakhs needed for the buses?

After the success of the Noida line, this was the line that was to be the busiest in the coming year. Looks like for now you will have to walk a mile to catch that Metro.

Your Big Idea for our cities ?

2010-06-19T09:57:00.008+05:30

From ITO, when you come onto the Ring Road just before the NOIDA toll road one can see a structure that looks like a cross between a flyover or a new metro line. In fact it is neither. This is the first elevated road that the city is building to cut commuting time to Lodi Road.

Initially this was a Commonwealth Games project designed to bring athletes from the Games Village to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. But post the Games it will be used by regular traffic travelling from that side of the city to central Delhi and beyond.

But do such projects designed for a specific purpose work long term? With the kind of money invested in them, it is time to think whether they actually help make our cities better? Or should we look at other options?

Slate has an interactive project asking their readers to contribute ideas to make their cities better. And many have written with ideas.

Our cities too are facing similar challenges. Most of the us live around abysmal conditions that we think will never change. We just build higher walls or move to better colonies. But every morning when we travel to work there it is again. Staring back at us.

However a little bit of innovative thinking and learning from experiences of cities in other parts of the world would help improve our daily experience of living and traveling in the city.

What is your big idea to transform our cities?

Cartoon: www.polyp.org.uk
www.speechlessthebook.org

Walking Around

2010-06-10T07:35:00.005+05:30

Delhi used to be one of the few cities where we had wide enough spaces to walk. However in the last six months in the name of the Commonwealth Games there is always digging happening making it difficult to walk long stretches without having to get onto the road.

But if we were serious about walking spaces we would have made sure that they are not encroached or damaged. In last 20 years with the cars we have acquired, we have given up walking. When we say walking most of us assume a stroll in the park. We do not really think about walking to the market or to a friend's place. The rare exception is for Metro commuters who may have to walk a distance to their station but this is not something we welcome.

Aah the weather. That's the other excuse. But then winters are pleasant enough for walking yet we do not stay out on foot for long. We can plan picnics on weekends but no walking please. A friend who is a European once pointed out that inspite of the fact that most cities in India have pleasant weather at least 6 months in a year we still do not want to give up our cars even for short distances.

In Europe there is conscious effort to walk rather than take a car. Since their cities are small they have found interesting places to walk. In fact many of them have done this kind of exercise every weekend for over 20 years. Be it rain or sunshine they make it a point to walk sometime during the week.

Who knows after the Games are over and city becomes normal again, we might can try and make a habit of walking around in the city?

A new map for NY

2010-05-29T20:06:00.006+05:30

The MTA is unveiling a new subway map for New York.

The present map was released first in 1979 and although additions have been made, it was felt a that the city needed an update. There have been complaints that the map was difficult to read and an alternative version was available at Kick Map.

The biggest challenge in making any map for a Metro is what extra information to include apart from the train stations themselves. The London Underground Map is the most famous example of an abstract design that has no relation to the city geography and yet it has worked well.

New York used to have a similar map in 1972 but New Yorkers did not understand how to use it and got confused. So it was replaced with a map in 1979 which had neighborhood names & landmarks. But as time went by more subway lines were added and other information such as bus routes and ferry lines made it difficult reading. Hopefully the latest map would solve this problem.

The Delhi Metro Map has been continuously evolving but the map itself needs a lot of work in simplifying information. On the Metro website one can hardly read out the stations. The first rule of maps which is that it should be easy to read has been ignored. Hopefully the map will see better days in the future.

Funnily enough the new map would have a 30 percent larger Manhattan Island to accommodate the several lines criss crossing the island. Wonder how geography enthusiasts and map lovers would react to a New York with a larger island in the centre ?

Its back to Mumbai vs Delhi

2009-09-10T21:48:00.005+05:30

HT Brunch has an interesting cover story comparing the cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. As usual the funniest piece is the best - Ruchir Joshi on Cal. Sam Miller writes a pretty boring essay on Delhi. It should have been written by a first generation immigrant. That's what the city is about today - the millions who came in in the last decade have changed how we live and work.

But the silliest piece is on Mumbai. Jerry Pinto protests about how one cannot make schemes for a tribal girl sitting in Sujan Singh Park. Never Mind that the in financial capital of India a handful of people decide how the country's economy should be run and 3 directors(or is it 5) Bollywood have been deciding the colour of our dreams for decades.

Then he goes on to laugh at the concept that Delhi will ever give up its power without actually realizing that the comment is as much for Mumbai - like all urban centres power is centralized in Mumbai. That is what cities are about. But then the writer starts to get depressed about how cities are "artificial constructs" and are built when people are tired of farming.

I love this kind of pop analysis from Mumbaikars. I have another simplistic example to match their argument.

Take a ride on the 9:45 metro with me. And you will see democracy at work. I do not know about the 21st century. Dilliwalahs do not think that far ahead. We are in transit and ready to move to the next opportunity.

But let me tell you this. The next 20 years this is an exciting place to be.

But it might be difficult for a Mumbaikar to come on the ride. He has to wriggle out of the suburban train first and jump over the portholes in his city before he can catch the Metro.

My colony resembles CP...

2009-09-01T22:35:00.003+05:30

...during the night.

Don't get me wrong. We are not opening an all night mall here. It just that the parking in my housing complex resembles the parking problems in CP.

Each time you drive in after eight there is hardly any space. Add to that continuous digging that swallows a couple places where cars could have nested in the night.

This was not the case when DDA decided to build Colony No 77. Planned in the 70s this was completed before the Maruti boom. It has seen a 500 times increase in cars with almost every house having at least two cars. From zero that is. How can you plan for so many cars? DDA needs to be complimented for that.

But now it seems we need a different solution. A multilevel parking perhaps.

Of course that is how CP seems to be solving the parking problem. They will have a 15 storey parking which is completely automatic. Robots and all. Who will I fight with then?

Let me suggest a multi level parking with a robot at the next Resident's Welfare meeting. The expressions on their faces would be priceless.

Mumbai most polluted

2009-08-25T20:27:00.004+05:30

This might confuse you. With half the number of vehicles Mumbai has overtaken Delhi as the most polluted city in India. In effect each vehicle in Mumbai is 4 times more polluting than a vehicle in Delhi.

How did this happen? The assumption is that Mumbai's roads are more congested and Delhi has more vehicles running on CNG. However I am not sure whether the building of flyovers has really helped Delhi. The traffic jams still have not gone away and standing vehicles still cause pollution.

The expanding of BRT is going to increase use of public transport, although this will take some time. On the first road modified for BRT connecting Chirag Dilli to Moolchand, one can see how more people prefer the buses since the dedicated lines make for an easier ride.

I think a large part of the reduction in emissions is also because of the Delhi Metro. Today when I took the Metro to Janak Puri, it was normal trip. I did not even have to think - should I take the car or the Metro? When I got off, I remembered the time when it was a long hot bus ride at the end of which you were fighting through the crowds to get down.

In Mumbai there is no respite for someone who wants to avoid using the car. Yes there is the famed suburban train system but it is run down. The trains have to be upgraded and also new routes have to be planned in alignment with directions that people travel to work. With more work shifting away from town, people need options. Maybe the Mumbai Metro has such routes planned for the future. Till then this is a crown it has to wear.

Bicycle ! Bicycle !

2009-08-19T22:19:00.005+05:30

America is currently trying to figure out whether it can encourage car users to switch to bikes. And one of the bottlenecks apparently is that there are not enough places to park bikes. What used to be a problem for cars earlier is now a problem with bikes. In some cities, bike usage has increased by almost 150 percent but people have nowhere to park.

However several cities like Portland(US) and Amsterdam have focused on creating exclusive parking spaces for cyclists. One automated location in Tokyo has a capacity for 9000 bikes any one of which can be retrieved with 23 seconds !

Of course any city would benefit if people switch to cycles. Cycles take lesser space on roads and parking areas . So how is Delhi matching up with other cities of the world?

One can see a lot of cyclists in Delhi and many of them tend to park their cycles inside their office compounds. These are not new spaces but mostly extensions of older parking areas which are now overflowing. As a result many people now tend to or in front of the offices/shops they are working in.

But a bigger problem is that unlike most countries in Europe there are no dedicated lanes for cyclists and often they are treated on par with pedestrians. The only time you can see cycles dominating the road is during the rush hour at ITO. When the light changes to green they rush out like they are in some race. Otherwise, car and bus drivers tend to push them out even on the slow lanes. On roads where there is faster traffic flow there is no way a cyclist can enjoy a ride.

Partly this is because we often see cycles as something associated with adolescence. Its only those who cannot afford public transport and/or have to carry their tools with them use cycles as adults. Shifting to cycles only makes sense if roads are safer and you are closer to work. In fact today in Delhi car owners complain about driving long distances and may look for houses closer to work. But cyclists often do not have that choice.

Me want to make more money

2009-08-12T22:16:00.003+05:30

That's what the Delhi Metro is now saying.

Yes they are making a profit on day to day operations, but there is a small matter of 16,000 crores that they borrowed for the first two phases of construction.

And how does it propose to do so ? DMRC argues that the only way forward is to follow the Hong Kong model where the metro authorities were allowed to develop real estate on either side of the metro line. This is the only metro system in the world that is running on profit.

But the Delhi Development Authority does not agree since this would throw the master plan in a disarray and would only benefit the builder lobby. Planners point out that this would lead to unplanned commercial centres that may not be viable.

I guess the lesson for other cities in India is to figure out how they will be able to pay for the Metro before they build it.

In the meantime DMRC is now competing with the Railways. At Dwarka a train slipped off its tracks. Maybe the are trying to get Mamta's attention.

Counting crows and exterminating monkeys

2009-08-09T14:36:00.003+05:30

Who would worry about crows? They may be a nuisance to some, but with the urban sprawl increasing in cities we have seen a reduction in many of the avian species, crows being no exception.

However in Tokyo people have been obsessed about bringing down the crow population. They were convinced that crows are a nuisance and they needed to be exterminated. So successful has been this campaign that at one point they claimed that 85 percent of the crows had been exterminated using traps.

But they underestimated the intelligence of the birds. They are now back with a vengeance. Older crows have learn to avoid traps and suburban crows, are commuting into the city at mealtimes.

And the costs for extermination - $5.3 million in extermination costs—about $50 per dead crow. WOW ! That's more than double the daily wage of a beneficiary of the NREGA.

Many times cities often indulge in such hair-brained policies when it comes to animals. In Delhi it has been an obsession with monkeys, Banglore is concerned about stray dogs and Mumbai wants to catch every leopard.

Often times there are bigger urban problems and challenges facing our cities, but we pretend that somehow if we get ourselves rid of the “animal” menace we will lead better lives. The media is no less – no sooner is ONE person attacked by a monkey or a dog in Delhi they paint a picture of how we are in DANGER (as if it is a nuclear attack about to happen) of our civilization disappearing.

Remember the animals are just confused. They cannot make head or tail of what is happening around them. One moment there is a forest where they live and the next moment we are telling them to disappear in the name of progress. Much like the American Indian in this story of Tintin whose land is taken away from him.

In the city lies a bamboo forest...

2009-07-21T17:44:00.002+05:30

... and behind it are the slums.

Well that seems to be the policy of the Delhi government to hide away the underbelly of the city. Just plant some trees and make all the "poor people" disappear. I hope the bamboos grow tall enough. Riding on the Metro one can see a fair distance.

As with the 1982 Asian Games, many groups have also been relocated to create new infrastructure. Often these groups move to the fringes of the city to settle again. Year later those fringes will come under a NEW MASTER PLAN and they will be forced to move again.

Every big event in the city ends up becoming an excuse to waste money to beautify it. This means that only rich and middle class life should be seen. Driving along the roads you should only see malls and apartments, bungalows etc.

Many centuries ago the Empress of Russia wanted to visit Crimea. Her minister Grigory Potemkin knew that most villages were in a bad shape. Catherine would be horrified with them and heads would roll. He ordered the construction of fake settlements along the river she would travel. As the royal ships floated down, one could see happy villagers enjoying their rural life.

Why not make plastic and woodcut outs of the ideal city images and plant them along the roads leading to the stadiums. These images would have new houses, clean roads and blue skies. Driving past at sixty kilometres an hour no one would notice. In fact we could also leave them in place after the games are over.

Instead of such schemes as planting bamboo (which is not even common in this area) what about building affordable housing for these people? Is that not a better option in the long run?

Last year I had a chance to film such a project in Kolkata. The city administration had finalized a plan to clean the canals and open sewers. However families that were living in slums near them were reluctant to leave. Most of the women worked as house helps in the neigbourhood and did not want to be shifted far away.

What was decided that they would be shifted into low cost apartment blocks a hundred metres away. These houses had bathrooms and a working sewage disposal system - something they never had in their makeshift homes. The houses are owned by the women and they are paying lower interests on the loans provided by the government. Since these are apartment blocks, overall the area occupied by the families has come down.

If this can happen in a city like Kolkata where there is a space crunch, why not Delhi?

Metro = Safe?

2009-06-15T20:33:00.006+05:30

This recent article points out that every year almost 4000 people die while commuting on the Mumbai local trains. On the other hand about 1800 people die on Delhi's roads each year. Both are alarming numbers.

This set me thinking that are metros (elevated or underground) safer for commuters? At present Delhi's Metro is about 74 kms long and 200 more will be added by 2010 end. And already there are plans to have another 100 km added in the next phase. Uptill now are hardly any reports of accidents while traveling but there have been some during construction.

While traveling on NYC subways, I would come across ads of legal firms who would offer services to victims who have been injured while traveling. There would also be one or two highly publicized cases in which they had won millions of dollars for their client. However a large proportion of these accidents happen when a traveler trips, falls, or slips on the stairway because they are in a hurry.

What would be interesting is to find out whether public transport systems are safer as a whole? This US study claims that it is, but then what about cities in India ? The problem is that most accidents go unreported or there is no proper study as yet. Maybe the number of accidents are less in the case of a train or a bus, but it might result in more deaths or injuries.

With the Metro expanding and the BRT spreading across several parts of the city, we would need to look at how to make traveling on them safer and convenient. And safety does not mean just accidents. We should also look at how safe it is for older people, women and children to travel on them. This was one of the reasons why many people shunned DTC and private buses. As it grows the Metro should make sure everyone enjoys the ride.

Are we travelling any faster ?

2009-05-18T11:58:00.005+05:30

Last week Gurgaon office goers decided to beat the rush hour jam. They reported to office almost an hour earlier. While many companies had been experimenting with this since 2005, I guess in the last year rush hour travel has become impossible.

I remember reading some time back that the average traffic speed in Delhi has reduced by half to 20 km per hour compared to what it was 15 years back. Don't we often complain how it was easier to get to a place in a car and now it takes twice the time. So does having a car any help? Of course on the Noida toll bridge we can zip across but what after you get into the city?

Having lived in Karol Bagh my solutions to jams are different from those who travel from South Delhi. To get to CP you can still leave at 10 and not get any traffic. But to get to Green Park one either leaves at nine or eleven. That will take you 45 minutes. Else if you get caught in a jam then it might take more than an hour.

Is it possible to combine your trip with the metro and beat the traffic? Not really. I once tried getting to Khan market using the metro and then a short auto ride. The other trip I tried was to go to Mayur Vihar. You ride till the end of the IP line and then take an auto. The problem is once you hit the road the slow traffic sets you back and you hardly save time. In that sense while the metro only part of the solution. We need to declog the roads too if we have to travel faster.

There are many solutions - car sharing is one. The other is to let odd and even number cars to use the roads on alternate days. Another one is to shift all office timings in Delhi by an hour. But are we up to the challenge?

The logic of naming names

2009-04-18T13:41:00.004+05:30

Having lived in this part of town for almost three decades, I have often wondered on this blog the names of places and their histories. Often we live in a place and still do not know how it got its name.

Take Pusa Road. Of course it got its name from the Pusa Institute. In the early 80's that was the only building at the Pusa Road/Patel Nagar crossing. Beyond that it was all the ridge some of which had been cut out to make farmland for the agricultural institute.

But recently I found out that PUSA was actually a place in Bihar which was site for the earlier agricultural institute that was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake. The institute was then shifted to Delhi.

It struck me as funny the idea of naming an institute after a place. Normally gates of forts were named after places - Lahore gate or Ajmeri gate. These gates were the main points of departure to those places. But the Red Fort went a step ahead and had a Delhi gate which probably led to the city. Maybe they wanted to show that the fort was different from the city !

I am not sure what is the logic behind many of the names. Lodi Garden used to be Lady Willingdon Park till people reverted to the dynasty that created the tombs within the gardens. CP was named after the Duke of Connaught (he was lucky - three places in the world share the same name) and then they named it after Rajeev Gandhi. I am clueless about both choices.

But then there are pleasant surprises. There is Skinner's Church and Kwame Nkrumah Marg. The outer Ring Road in certain places is known as Gamal Abdel Nasser Marg. Trying to understand the names is like a lesson in history.

My award for the wierdest names goes to the Ulan Bator road. It is a short road that takes us to Delhi airport.

My Dentist and the Metro

2009-03-28T13:25:00.001+05:30

So I made my infrequent trek to my dentist fearing the worst. As usual it was a small case of cleaning my teeth and fixing a loose cap but I was worried.

So I settle into the chair and she begins by asking why I haven't been regular. That is the one question that I was avoiding. In between her poking around, me spitting and then asking me to shift up a little more, I told her I had shifted to Karol Bagh. You know the standard explanation about how my parents had left the city and shifted back.

There. I said it. The dreaded K word that makes South Delhi people screw up their eyes. (Karol Bagh? Where is that? Isn't that near Rajouri Garden?)

Not this one. She smiled and said - You know pretty soon you can come here by the Metro.

I was stumped. What could I say? Of course with the Metro connecting up South Delhi one could technically travel anywhere on it.

But come to the dentist? That is one ride I will not be taking with a smile on my face !

The Force from the Dark Side

2009-03-25T13:14:00.003+05:30

Elsewhen I had written about the story of the Nano - how it was designed and how the team that worked on it went over small details to keep the costs below a lakh (2000 USD as of today) and yet create a world class car.

HOWEVER as a technology innovation it is disaster at a time when we need to encourage people to move to public transport. We have situations where families are planning to buy three or even four Nanos since they are so affordable. This is of course is something that Indians are always craving for. Cars. Cars. And more cars.

Earlier the complaint used to be that we did not have good options in terms of public transport. Now with the Metro and the BRT that excuse is out of the window. Car owners still try to find various excuses even when they could make some of their trips by the Metro. Car owners have convinced themselves that no public transport can be as comfortable as a personal car.So what if we have to wait at traffic jam for twenty minutes?

World over (Paris, NY and San Fransisco) most people use public transport to travel to work. cars are used during weekends, for shopping or when they travel out of the city. In Delhi we use the car for all of the above and everything else. Want to drop your kid to the bus stop? Get in the car? Want some milk? Where are the car keys?

Part of this can be attributed to the publicity and hype over the Nano (and other cars) whereas the Metro still keeps a low profile. Actually very large numbers use the Metro but most of us are not aware of its routes or how we can use it to where we travel. Like most new technologies that we finally get used to this too will take time. Twenty five years of the car revolution (the launch of the Maruti) will be difficult to shake off.

I guess when the initial excitement on this car is over and they have sold their first million it would be 2011. By that time the roads will all be clogged and the Metro would be fully functioning and the BRT would have extended its reach. Maybe at that time car owners will be persuaded to shift to the Metro.

The Nano might still be the symbol of success of Indian design. Just that we may only drive it during weekends.

On trains and trams

2009-03-01T13:10:00.013+05:30

In Istanbul one can go about the city

in all kinds of trains

built right from the 19th
to the 21st century

Auto drivers - Delhi vs Mumbai ?

2009-02-23T21:27:00.005+05:30

Freakonomics is debating why there is a huge difference in the way auto drivers in Delhi and Mumbai behave. In Delhi they quote an obnoxious sum to you and then negotiate. Some even refuse to go to certain places unless paid a premium. In Mumbai they are ready to go wherever according to the meter.

Respondents have put forward some reasons:

1. There are too many autos in Mumbai and there is competition between them. In Delhi there is a scarcity of autos and therefore the customers suffers.

2. Mumbai has strong auto unions who ensure that fares are regularly increased according to their demands while in Delhi this process takes a very long time and when the hike put in place it is too late in terms of the running costs of the vehicle.

I agree with both points of view but a major factor is the difference in the working culture of each of the cities. Mumbai is a product of English, Parsis, Sindhi and Gujarati communities that ran businesses over the last 100 years. They have a more practical approach where they do not want to spend time haggling about travel rates. This has taken a strong root and even new migrants find it convenient. The auto drivers are also happy with this system since they are paid well.

In Delhi most people start with an attitude that they are being charged too much and try to reduce the price. In buses many people often lie to the ticket guy about where they have to get off. Even on the Metro I have seen people trying to buy a ticket for an earlier station and then getting caught at the exit.

Also there is a habit of haggling. People actually enjoy the process of negotiating and feel happy when the price comes down even notionally. The shopkeepers and auto rickshaw drivers know this. So they quote a much higher price. If you ever approach an auto guy everyting is negotiated - price, route and even where he will drop you.

However in recent times many auto drivers have started charging reasonably or going by the meter in Delhi. One reason might be stricter enforcement. The other of the coming of the Metro. In many of the routes along the Metro where there has been a drop of people traveling by autos. Therefore they are willing to take you for a reasonable price.

Another trend is that some autowalahs have shifted to parts of Delhi where the Metro is still to reach. This has meant that there are more autos in that area and they are competing for more or less that same number of passengers. So they are again forced to compete thus giving passengers an edge while negotiating.

However come evening most of them still open with a high price and play the negotiating game. Since it the last trip before they head home, they want to make the best of it, they tell you !

Vasant Kunj - missing the Metro ride?

2009-02-10T11:23:00.009+05:30

The residents of Rohini - one of the first places to be connected to the Metro - have really taken to using the Metro to travel to CP or the Delhi University on a daily basis. For many years Rohini was a neglected colony towards the west of the city and now it has come alive.

I thought the next logical thing would be to connect up Vasant Kunj. Here was one of the largest colonies with middle class houses and a bad bus service. Also JNU was close by and there would be a large student crowd using the Metro. But no such luck. The metro guys decided on another residential suburb. Dwarka. And they proceeded to make a long chain of stations here. Now that line is the busiest among the three and is running on a profit.

Looking back it made sense. The ideal time to get people to use public transport is when they are shifting to a new place. In Vasant Kunj houses were over 20 years old and most residents had cars. Switching to the Metro would have taken a longer time. But in Dwarka, it is convenient. Public spaces, shops and related activities have now come up along the stations.

In cities like Delhi, Bangalore & Hyderabad how do you get people living in older residential areas to switch to the Metro? In Mumbai and Kolkata it may be easier because a larger propotion already use public transport but what about places where people have gotten used to travel only in cars and do not mind the wait on roads. How do you convince these people?

One positive development can be how businessmen and shop owners in old Delhi have started using the Metro on a regular basis since it is convenient. The other success story is the thousands of students who use the metro to travel to the north campus. Public transport can always be an option if it is clean, safe and convenient. Also once you get off the station you should have rickshaws or buses to ferry you to your final destination.

The next challenge will be when the Gurgaon line opens in 2010. Since it skirts one end of Vasant Kunj will the residents use it connect to the city? Or will it remain untouched by the Metro?

Fun with a GPS

2008-12-28T07:01:00.003+05:30

Since I am a big fan of maps, I knew that the first time I encountered a GPS it would be fun. On our trip to San Fransisco, Savita offered to take us to Muir woods. As soon as she pulled up in her car, I noticed a small square object sticking out from her windscreen. She punched in the destination and the thing started speaking back to her.

In India a GPS device is often associated with security and surveillance. But a GPS is a real help when you are new to a city and do not know the roads well. A standard device offers real-time voice support for every road turn and informs the driver about the current location as well as locations to be arrived at. It could also give you nearby points of interest such as ATMs, petrol pumps or restaurants. It is like a knowledgeable grandfather - and it also scolds you when you take a wrong turn or overshoot your destination.

In the grid plan based cities of Amrika this works. In a city like Delhi it can be confusing since the route chosen by the GPS may not be the ideal one - there might be a traffic jam or the road may have been shut down for repairs. I do not know whether there are systems which are updated regularly, but most people in the US use a combination of GPS and Google maps to get to a new place. There is no question of getting off and asking someone - something we do here often.

It does provide with you with entertainment. On our return Savita ended up at Lombard Street which is a the crookedest street in the world. With hair pin bends and twists and turns many times over you can barely control the car. The funny thing was on the GPS it showed up as a straight road !

We had to drop Aditi off at a museum and then wanted to catch up sitting at a cafe. I asked her whether there was a place where we could get good chai. I had not had boiled tea in a long time. On our way we passed a Pakistani joint but Savita did not know the way back. Nor did she know the road. And the GPS did not have the name of the restaurant in its database.

So we used the device in an innovative way. We punched in a destination which would take us away from the museum but in the same direction we came from. Once we had driven long enough, we punched in the museum again. But this time it took us through a different route and we never spotted the restaurant. Driving through the city and looking around we kept laughing at this idea of being dependent on a machine but even the GPS not knowing what we are looking for. It was like being in a video game. We were about to give up when we spotted another franchise of the same restaurant. Now for some desi chai.

Maybe the product could become a hit in India if it was sold as a gaming device...

Exploration 7 - Roshanara Bagh

2008-12-21T07:33:00.005+05:30

Last week I had written about the public arts festival set around the metro stations. The one that impressed me was Motornama Roshanara.

This was a trip along the Roshanara Bagh area with the rickshawala acting as your guide. Along the ride we had headphones and an MP3 player. As you hurried along the lanes, you heard songs and interviews related to the trip. The rickshawalas had been trained to talk to the visitors and explain the histories of various places they took them to.

The entire experience was an oral history of the industrial age - its products (machines, factories), its impact on the people, migration, pollution and its decline. From the metro station we traveled many centuries in history. At an ice factory we were told that this technology was brought to India by the Mughals. Babur had complained about India his Baburnama:

.... There are no good horses, meat, grapes, melons or other fruit. There is no ice, cold water, good food or bread in the markets....

Just a few minutes ago we had been shown Palace cinema - one of the first halls to get a license in independent India and now has shut down. A cobbler sitting beside the hall played a film on a laptop stuck onto a tree. The film showed the technology of film projection - the mechanics that have been in use for more than a century.

The entire trip was to make the traveler aware of the technologies that are dying out and with it the skills and jobs. We got into a discussion with the rickshawala about how with each decade even the rickshaw is getting pushed out of the city in favour of cars and other forms of transport.

However with the spread of the metro line I feel that the rickshaw will survive. Many parts of Dwarka and Rohini already have rickshaws plying passengers from the stations to their homes. Their numbers have increased in the last decade. But they feel threatened by the police and transport authorities ban them from entering many areas in the city .

What can be done is that the rickshaw can be used in places where large vehicles are banned. Also the Roshanara trip opens up possibilities where the rickshaws can be used as tour guides for different parts of the city - Chandni Chowk, Mehrauli...

The ice factories and the old cinema halls may shut down but the rickshaw may still survive this century.

Route Plan: Take the metro till Kashmere Gate and then get onto the line to Rithala. Get off at Pul Bangash station. Although the arts festival ends today, the trip through the bylanes is still worth it.

Art along the Metro

2008-12-13T17:27:00.006+05:30

On this blog I have often argued about using the Metro as more than something to get from place A to B. Most cities with older subways use the stations and its surroundings as public spaces with all kinds of stuff happening around you when you get there - weekly markets, musicians performing & art installations.

The metro in Delhi seems to be an exception. Which is strange since the city has so many small enclaves of public spaces that are regular meeting places. Come winter Dilli Haat, Pragati Maidan & CP often have regular events. But no one has really tried anything with the Metro.

I guess the argument always is that if I am traveling why would I want to break my journey and watch a performance or an installation. That's funny because we often stop to watch an ad running on the many TV screens on the Metro. If curated in an innovative manner the Metro can become a showcase public art and performances.

That is what 48C is about. They claim that this is Delhi's first public arts festival which is a point of debate but what cannot be argued is that they have decided to hold the event along Metro stations all over the city and in a sense brought art to public spaces. And it is not just art installations - open air film screenings, walks & discussions. They have a blog with an update each day.

In each of the locations, as you walk out you there is a map to guide you to the installations within walking distance. Another short ride on the Metro and you reach the next location. The staions chosen are close to the very popular Jantar Mantar to the forgotten Roshanara Bagh.

Having the event around the metro stations makes it accessible and in a sense "forces" you to use public transport. Unlike other public events there are no parking spaces for cars. (Although I know many who would still have to drive to CP and then use the Metro to other locations). In any case everyone would end up using cycle rickshaws or walking to the actual locations. What a better way to explore the Metro, see contemporary art and also rediscover the city.

I had a chance to see a some of the work on display in CP today. Will be making a longer trip tomorrow.

How Green is your City ?

2008-09-23T10:23:00.010+05:30

Streetcar, San Fransisco

SustainLane has come out with a study that ranks cities according to their sustainability. While Portland ranks the highest, New York, Chicago and San Fransisco are also in the top five.

One of the criteria for measuring this was environmental costs of traveling in the city and commuting options. As they put it :

...affordable and convenient public transit will pay dividends for a city, having positive impacts on childhood asthma rates, traffic congestion and associated stress, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gases.

Of course this is not a new argument and many times when switching to better fuels (unleaded petrol & CNG) we have heard them in India. However there is still a negative attached to public transport in India. People want to stop using it as soon as possible and move to personal transport. It is still affordable to use personal transport as long as you are willing to suffer the traffic snarls and smoke.

In the US while cars may be cheaper, the parking and toll charges are so high that it is often cheaper to use public transport. Also the time saved in commuting is significant and you don't suffer from driving stress.

Then why is this not happening in India? Primarily most public transport systems - buses, trains, autos and cycle rickshaws are not coordinated. Out side the metro station near my house there are host of cycle rickshaws waiting to pick up commuters and ferry them to their homes. But this is temporary system - they are often pushed away by the traffic police during peak traffic hours. Then the commuter has no option but to walk home. The next time he will use a car than the metro if he has a choice.

Buses timings are not in tune with trains. And this is true of not just of Delhi but even Mumbai and Kolkata where a suburban train/tram system has been operational for at least 70 years. They still haven't figured out a system where a person could walk from his bus to the station and catch the 8.40 local to Andheri. Most of the times the buses are late because of jams near the station.

In planning transportation our mindset is till to widen roads for personal transport not to look at reducing use of such vehicles. We do not want efficient public transport since most planning is done by people who drive cars to work. Now why would we want to give up an opportunity like that !!

With bike racks like these....

2008-09-08T18:19:00.000+05:30

who wouldn't want to go out biking?

Check this out?

Riding the Loop

2008-09-06T14:31:00.001+05:30

Chicago has a quaint metro transit system with elevated stations in the downtown area. Each of these have their own unique character with trains to match.

This is the third busiest subway system in the US. Passes used on the metro can be used on buses too like NY. However many parts of the metro is still using old technologies and some of the overhead stations retain the wooden stations built on iron beams. These are smaller compared to stations in Delhi or New York. Many of the stations reminded me of The French Connection although that film was shot in New York.

Chicago is set along Lake Michigan and the city spreads out in three directions - north & south along the shoreline and to the west. Each of the metro lines which bring the suburban commuters to the city have to crisscross the city through the downtown area.

The interesting thing in the Chicago system is the Loop. This is a unique track system in downtown area that focuses trains towards a rectangular central loop. If you need to travel between suburbs you need to change trains at the Loop. This system must have evolved to avoid a traffic congestion. When they reach the downtown, trains simply have to go along the perimeter of the loop and pass each other without holding each other up. Something that was invented more than a hundred years ago and still works for the city.

As a visitor you can visit most of the areas in downtown just by riding along the Loop - hopping off and on wherever you want. And while you are walking the streets once in a a train passes overhead reminding you of a station nearby. It somewhat like the Ring Road Rail system in Delhi only smaller. Imagine having something like that between commercial areas in Delhi.

However I am not sure how long this system could be preserved. As commuter traffic increases would it be possible to retain the older stations and keep running on old trains?

A newcomer in a city

2008-09-02T06:37:00.008+05:30

Some days back NY Times looked at the challenges immigrants faced when they come into the city. For example:

Newcomers suddenly realize either that the city is not working for them or that they are inexorably becoming part of it, or both. They find themselves walking and talking faster.

Somewhere later the writer points out :

People are everywhere, but ignore each other on the street. Friends might live in distant neighborhoods, and seeing them often requires booking time, like an appointment, weeks in advance.

In many places, I felt like that you could replace NY with Mumbai and the article would still make sense. As an outsider to both, I could see the similarities that so many people refer to. However in terms of one aspect NY is so much better - the public transportation system.

I am not talking about about the crowds in suburban trains of Mumbai and the stress of taking a train everyday. This is more about how the system is organized. On the New York map, the subway system (metro) looks like a series of lines snaking through the city. In some places these lines run parallel to the grid like streets but in most cases they have evolved over a century of demand from the suburbs. Mumbai has three main lines covering most of the city.

However it is the synergy between the trains and buses which is lacking in Mumbai. In NY when you step out of your house buses are available with five minutes of walk. Again when you step out of the metro, the bus stop is practically outside the subway station. This is not the case for most places in the suburbs of Mumbai.

Another aspect is that in NY the comparable time difference for a bus and a taxi ride would be very little, therefore no point in paying much more for the taxi. I know that many people in Mumbai use the bus-train system, but most of my friends often resort to taking an auto if they are running late since buses are very slow.

You could argue that Mumbai is more crowded and space is a constraint but then so would people say is the case with Manhattan - the main part of NY. But somehow they have kept the roads wider by forcing people to make taller buildings. The traffic flow is still smooth and people can think of using a bus. This is not practical in Mumbai and each day more people end up using private cars or autos thus chocking the roads even more. Trips which should take ten minutes end up taking an hour.

While the New York plan may not work for our cities, we still need to learn how to keep commuting easy for people who come to our cities to work.

Aap Katar mein hain !

2008-06-22T19:48:00.004+05:30

Took a ride after ages .... with all the traveling I have been doing the one thing that I miss is the Metro.

This time in CP, I saw a new system. The minute you come in to the platform, a uniformed guy whistles and asks you to stand in a queue. Of course enterprising dilliwalahs tried to act surprised when they were told to go back to the end of the line, but somehow everyone agreed.

When the train came it actually worked. People rushed out and we stepped in. There was hardly any pushing or the mad ruch one sees when the doors are about to shut. The guy managing the crowd told me it was a new facility they are trying out in the larger stations.

But this was Sunday. I need to see how this works on rush hour Monday.

The last time I went to a petrol pump

2008-06-01T19:04:00.003+05:30

Must have been two months back...

Of course the entire 2007 was spent experimenting with using the metro as much as possible. I almost contemplated selling my car !

Then a brainwave struck. (Actually it was a friend's example). I decided to try CNG. The initial cash down was the bummer. But since then its almost like I have been transported to the 90's. I mean when was the last time that your fuel bill was a thousand bucks (!) for a month of normal driving.

There was the initial apprehension of not finding CNG and long line sat the pump. But slowly you get used to the idea and figure out solutions (the lines are shortest between 11 and 4) and money you fork out each time -120, 155, 147 (in rupees) - want you to run back to Barista and have another shot of coffee.

Meanwhile no one really catches the smile I have on my face when I pass a petrol pump ...

The last tram outpost

2008-05-18T19:01:00.012+05:30

Last week i spent some time in that city
which still has trams running as a regular mode of transport...

Kolkatta

crisscrossing the city i remembered Istanbul
Kolkatta has almost the same variety of travel options for the tourists
rickety buses
a metro with 80's style bogies
river ferries
cycle rickshaws
hand drawn rickshaws
and the trams

yes those rickety things that lumber along
and you can actually catch up on
your morning paper (twice over)
or catch up on your sleep

i encountered so many streets in the city like this one
where one could see
different technologies transporting
the people to their destinations

i think the tourism people here
should seriously consider
making a day tour schedule of the city's landmarks
using different modes of transport

after all many tourists
use Palace on Wheels to travel in Rajasthan
in the case of Kolkatta
this kind of a day tour would appeal to
the back packer tourist

a real sastaa way to see the city....

First you move along the centre...

2008-05-07T21:40:00.004+05:30

... and then you steer left.

At least that's what the new improved plan is for the BRT. The stretch that has been built till Moolchand will have buses in the centre and then the buses will have to move to the left lane like the rest of the city.

When I had written earlier that there were problems with the BRT, I did not expect this kind ogf a solution. can you imagine the kind of confusion that would happen at the Moolchand crossing. When the light you will have buses trying to move left and cars cutting across to the right.

As if the roads aren't dangerous enough already !

The struggle for my Soul...

2008-05-02T16:59:00.004+05:30

...is now between CNG and the Metro.

A week back I got my car fitted with CNG and within a day all my apprehensions about this new technology vanished. I mean who can complain if one is getting ONE RUPEE TO A KILOMETRE ??? Already instead of forking out 500 rupees at the station, I end up spending only about 150 rupees since that is how much the gas costs. On top of that my mileage has doubled. The last five days I have been driving all over the city like a pup who has found a ball to play.

I had earlier written about how my car usage had gone down when i was doing a project in CP. Well for now it is the revenge of the 20th century machine! Let us see how long it lasts !

First Paris and now Washington DC

2008-04-28T06:50:00.004+05:30

Somewhen I had written how a unique scheme in Paris had helped encourage citizens to use bikes to travel around the city. These bicycles were to be parked near the Paris Metro stations and could be hired on an hourly basis using credit cards.

Now it seems Washington DC is planning a similar system where bikes will be available for hire at select locations. However pricing is crucial. If hiring the bikes is more expensive than say the shared taxi the system could fail. Therefore those behind this scheme have roped in advertisers to bring down rental costs.

The Metro in Delhi already has a system where you can park your bikes for free at the station if you have a smart card. But I feel the entire city needs to build itself around encouraging bikers so that we can see less cars on the roads. Maybe RWAs can be involved to manage such a system in each colony. That will ensure that the bikes are regularly maintained and they are not stolen.

What the Metro did right....

2008-04-23T19:16:00.004+05:30

....and the BRT got it wrong.

Saubhik Chakrabarti has written a good critique of what went wrong with the BRT. Having use the Metro regularly for almost a year I had some observations on why the Metro has shaped up as a good alternative while the BRT seems to be grinding to a halt.

1. Know your customer - When the Metro started it was decided that the initial phase would connect the north, east and west of the city. Conventional wisdom pointed out that most of the bus users were NOT in South Delhi. South Delhi today has two or more cars per family. They are least likely to use a public transport system initially. Could they not have first tried the BRT in another place like Dwarka?

2. Build proper infrastructure. Yes the Metro was expensive compared to buses but look at the sea change in traveling experience both in terms of comfort and safety. In the case of the BRT all you have is a dividing of roads. No space was created for bus travelers to cross the road. The bus stops look like a shade better than earlier ones but how does one get there?

3. Do not change traffic practices suddenly- it creates confusion . This was easy for the Metro. The trains do not interfere much with traffic and in some cases the changes in roads have actually helped smoothen traffic flow. But the BRT is a bus system. Many years ago the courts had decided (although it was the job of the administration) to create dedicated bus lanes on the extreme left of the road. In the BRT system the buses have to travel in the central part. How can we use a new system when the rest of the city is still on another system? Within a city how do you expect a car or a bus driver to change lanes when he leaves the BRT area? Will that not lead to more accidents and jams?

4. If you want people to change give them a choice and let them decide. In the case of the Metro initially it was used by bus users and scooter owners. But later even business men having shops in Old Delhi would get themselves driven to metro stations and then take the train. They realized the hassles of parking their Honda Civics and decided that those cars are better at home.

5. Stick to a deadline but more importantly launch the service only when you are ready. The public expects results and in the case of a Metro line they do see the benefit after many years of traffic congestion due to construction activity. However in the case of BRT, it seems like many of the elements were not in place. Now the public opinion is turning against it with each passing day. If the system was not ready why launch it ?

Lastly never launch a public transport system in summer. If it is good, people will not notice it - they will be complaining about the weather. If it fails they will get angry and demand that it should be scrapped !

BRT - why we should support it

2008-04-21T21:36:00.004+05:30

The Bus Rapid Transport started its trial run on the Chiraag Dilli -Moolchand stretch this Sunday and apparently it was huge mess. The BRT is a new system of dividing up roads so that the traffic is smooth. At the core the idea is to separate cars, buses and cyclists. Ever since this system has been launchedseveral parts of the city are witnessing a feverish division of the roads.

In this system, all the present buses will be replaced by low floor high capacity buses which will run in the middle of the road. The bus stops have also been made in the center, well protected and actually easier for the pedestrians and bus users if all of us obey rules.

If all of obey rules that's the key phrase here. Every one has to stick to their lane. Something a dilliwalah never learnt. Apparently on Sunday no one understood which was their lane and kept jumping over dividers and therefore leading to a traffic jam.

When such practices are working in other cities (Istanbul, Paris) why should it not work here? Once you have air conditioned buses connecting upto metro stations, less people will use personal transport and lead to less cars on the road. As it is most of our laws, motor taxes and road planning favours private vehicles. No one bothers about the bus commuters or pedestrians.

Most of the complaints on news channels and newspapers have been from motorists who say it will not work in Delhi since people do not obey rules. About ten years ago many people argued that the Metro was expensive and people in Delhi will not pay for it. But once it has connected up to several parts of the city and made travel easier, most people prefer to use it.

I feel once the BRT system is put in place and people get used to lane driving, this will really ease out problem of traffic in many parts of South Delhi. But then for that the dilliwalah has to stick to his lane. Will that miracle ever happen?

The Butterfly Effect

2008-04-17T21:16:00.005+05:30

Or how the lighting of a torch many months ago has affected our lives in far away Delhi.

Some time back the Olympic torch began its journey no one could have predicted a huge traffic tamasha it would create on this day. Or did we know it already? As wave after wave vehicles went past you, you felt like you were a supporting cast in a disaster movie. Everyone was running away from the monster. The Chinese Torch.

How is it that we have become the IT superpower but cannot manage our traffic for a torch relay?

Actually we could have done several things. The Delhi government could have declared holiday. Offices could have declared half day or worked late. But this kind of innovative thinking is what we expect only from other countries. The end result is that we are stuck on the road for something in which we are not even going to win a medal !!!!

Today is the best day to try the metro

2008-04-17T10:39:00.002+05:30

Why?

Well mostly because there are traffic restrictions with the Olympic Torch coming town. Almost reminds me of the times when the roads leading to my school used to be cordoned off because a foreign dignitary was coming to the cathedral. The Torch has become a living thing or a deity.

So you have to go to office. Your boss won't give you leave. And driving a car will be nightmare. Recently while returning late one night I found that all roads leading to the Chinese embassy were shut down. I had to take really long detour. My advice is - junk the car.

Now if your office is in CP its the easiest since all Metro lines lead there. But ITO or Nehru Place is going to be a problem. Get off of Indraprastha station and take a rickshaw. As soon as you get into the train you will realize that it is actually comfortable. The people around you look normal. When you get to your office there is no tension of parking your car. See it was a better ride.

On your return, take your time traveling. Look around the station. Enjoy the view. You may just get used to it.

Creating expensive cities

2008-03-30T22:12:00.004+05:30

Now that tamasha on the toll road to Gurgaon is over, I have been using that more frequently instead of the MG Road. Today it struck me while driving from Delhi to Gurgaon that it is cheaper to live in Delhi as far as the toll road pricing goes. For example I do not have to pay anything to use the toll road to go to Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj or the airport (Domestic), if I am living in Delhi. Whoever thought of this silly system?

As it is since petrol is cheaper in Delhi compared to other metros, I start off with and advantage of at least 5000 bucks ( 30 km per day @ 10km per litre) per year if I compare myself with a guy using a similar car in Mumbai where petrol is 5 rupees more expensive. Also driving in Kolkata and Mumbai makes you spend more fuel in traffic jams.

Now compare Delhi and Gurgaon. The toll road may have made things easier but how come people living on one side have to pay for access to a common facility - the airport? Technically speaking the airport is closer to Gurgaon than most parts of Delhi and yet people living in Gurgaon are subsiding my free ride if I stay in Delhi.

The list goes on. In Gurgaon, water is expensive and so is electricity. And yet this does not ensure that you have uninterrupted power supply. For that you have to pay higher. Somehow it is assumed that in certain localities people can pay more for the same public utilities. And even with all the money collected, the street lights do not work - just like in Delhi.

The other example is the upcoming Metro in Gurgaon which is going to be costlier to use compared to the Delhi Metro. Why is this so? Are they using a a better technology than Delhi Metro? Is it going to be underground?

Ok let us assume that people have to pay more for new facilities. But there is nothing new that I am paying for going by this PIL that was filed against the Gurgaon Toll road:

(The) toll levy is illegal as the highway was built on the already existing Delhi-Jaipur Highway and a separate toll road has not been built.... the government's move to charge tax and putting a financial burden amounted to an infringement of the fundamental right of free access...It is not as if new land was procured for construction of the new highway. As the free access road has been taken away, it behoves that we be provided equivalent commuting facilities free of cost...

If you did not notice, unlike the NOIDA toll bridge, this is not a new road. This is just a wider road with some new flyovers. And somehow they have convinced us to pay for it. What if you had to pay to use flyovers in Delhi?

Unless we take a serious look at how we want to spend money on infrastructure, this trend will continue. We will pay money for a new improved version of the same thing. And the sight of uniformed men handling us back some change as we pass the toll gate, will somehow make us feel we are now upwardly mobile. Ready for the 21st century...

For more rants on Gurgaon click here...

the places that the metro leaves behind

2008-03-21T08:19:00.004+05:30

Elsewhere I had written about how the Metro might not end up reaching certain places, leaving dark areas on the city map. In addition, the further the Metro reaches to the far corners of the city, certain market and villages are bound to be ignored because it is no longer practical to travel to them.

This is similar to the coming up of a flyover (in a city) or a highway (in the countryside) that may bypass certain areas leaving them destitute over time. As a pedestrian or a cyclist your experience of the city is bound to be different. In the 80's just before the Maruti boom, I remember walking regularly through Regharpura to go to Ajmal Khan Market. When the cars came, most of the village lanes were too small for them. So you ended up taking the main roads and slowly forget that these places existed.

In the case of Metro, one example is Panchkuian Road. Ten years back, it was the biggest furniture market - a one stop shop. Then two things happened - branded stores came up in Malls and also along the Mehrauli Gurgaon road. They began to offer better stuff to the people in South Delhi. But still people from other parts of the city came here. Then came the Metro. Although the shopkeepers protested, the line was built.

Today as one rides the metro to CP, one can see the shops lined up along the sides. There are very few customers and mostly the shops have become godowns. One can see rickshaws and trucks loading stuff but the earlier experience of going to the shops and walking along the road is no longer possible.

With the South Delhi line extending to IIT, will this happen to Yusuf Sarai market? One crucial difference is that the metro line there is underground, so for all practical purposes the area above will remain the same. One can still window shop walking along the road. Maybe if they had done that with Panchkuian Road, it may have survived.

But since the Metro stations are going to be at AIIMS and Green Park, will people walk to Yusuf Sarai?

A better public transport

2008-03-11T20:08:00.007+05:30

Conversation in a car in Kolkata.

"The Delhi Metro is better than Cal Metro."
"Come on, we had a Metro many years before you even thought of one."
"But ours is a larger network."
"Ours is much older."
"Our is air conditioned."
"Ours cheaper. Everyone can afford it."

This exchange set me thinking. The Kolkata Metro began construction in 1973 and the first line opened in 1984. But since the standard at that time was carriages with open windows and no air conditioning the trains look a little outdated.

But the present network has been in use for more than a decade and so is frequented by all kinds of people. Unlike in Delhi where people are still reluctant to completely abandon their cars, in Kolkata the metro is the first choice for most people living and working near the network. And since there is already a link to the Dum Dum airport, traveling by the metro is a practical option.

Like Istanbul, Kolkata has a variety of transport systems. Growing up in that city in the 1990's must have been fun. If you got bored of the Metro there was always the tram. At other times you could take a boat across the river. But the sad part is that apart from the Metro, the other transport systems are falling apart. Just eight months ago I was imagining that Kolkata was the nearest when it came to Istanbul, but the mind can play tricks when you are away.

This time when I had a closer look, in terms of travel options Kolkata has a long way to go in offering a variety of travel experiences to the international traveler. In the case of most tourist friendly cities around the world, good public transport is the one big plus point.

So instead of arguing whether the Delhi Metro is better than the one in Kolkata we need to look beyond the shores and compare our systems with the best in the world.

Explorations 6 - Tank Road Ka Maal

2008-03-02T16:10:00.003+05:30

Once Tank Road was the youngster's shopping mall. In the 80's and 90's this market of winding lanes led to small shops that had almost everything you required to dress up for the party. Lee, Wrangler, DKNY - you name it- they were there. Just that they were all fake. Tank Road ka Maal (Bought from Tank Road) was a term often used for anything fake or cheap.

If you were in college or new to a job and didn't have much to spend, here is where you went. While most of the market only dealt in wholesale stuff, some smart shopkeepers decided to make use of this demand for "foreign brands" and cater to the younger crowd. However, the labels were all wrong. Lee would have a Bruce attached to it and DKNY would be spelt wrong in all the possible ways.

The shopkeepers would never take no for an answer. In a way they had an advantage. We had come there to buy a brand. So if Wangler is not available, then Wrngler would suffice. Before going to Tank Road we had all these visions of wearing the latest stuff but once in the galis we would settle for just about anything. The other advantage the shops had was that Indians were competing with Russian tourists shopping for cheaper clothes in bulk. It seems that the biggest impact of the breaking up of the Soviet Union was that in Russia clothes became expensive !

With the coming of malls and speciality shops, Tank Road is not the same anymore. It still does a huge business of wholesale stuff with all the Maruti vans filled with clothes lined up at the entrances. Once in a while one can still see a Russian tourist, but the young goes elsewhere.

You see they need a coffee break while they shop.

Route Plan: Take the Metro line to Dwarka and get off at Rajendra Place . Walk around the lake down to Prasad Nagar or take a cycle rickshaw. Tank Road starts just behind the Faith Academy school.

Car = 20th century

2008-02-25T20:15:00.005+05:30

Newsweek reports that Japan is entered a phase of Post Car Society with car sales going down. One potential car customer all of 34 years who mostly uses subways and trains, sums it up:

"Having a car is so 20th century"

Wow! In one century they have almost done a turnaround. Apparently car sales have been dropping in Germany too and experts feel that other countries in Europe may be hit next. This why car manufacturers more interested in Asia, especially India and China.

One of the reasons for this decline in car usage has been because of the concentration of population in cities and using a car is becoming more of a nuisance. Another reason might be that public transport is cheap, good and efficient in most cities in Europe and Japan. Most of the population actually take out the car to go to the country or on special occasions.

How long will this take in Delhi? Here owning and driving a car is still a big deal. Inspite of the Metro arriving to most parts of north and west Delhi, many people are still reluctant to use it regularly. This is also because the feeder buses are still not in place.

I travel often to Dwarka and usual system is to use cycle rickshaws when you get off the metro stations. But as of now the rush on the trains is not much and many places in the township are still not developed. When that happens, we will need buses to connect up to far off places. These buses need to affordable and safe. In most world class cities when you step out of the suburban train system there are various options for you. Paris even has cycles on hire.

Till that happens, dilliwalahs will not abandon their cars.

Thames tunnel

2008-02-08T17:33:00.001+05:30

The Thames tunnel was originally built below the river in London to solve traffic congestions way back in 1840. But due to a curious set of circumstances, it became part of an underground metro system dedicated to running trains and set the trend in other parts of the world.

It took nearly 15 years to excavate the tunnel which was a grand distance of 400 metres but it was unique engineering feat at that time. The construction had to be halted several times due to floods, tunnel collapses and lack of funds.

A special tunneling device called the tunneling shield made it possible for worker to dig through the soil while keeping them protected from collapses. It had a 36 cells each large enough to fit a worker who excavated a small area in front of him. Once the portion immediately in front of the workers was dug, the shield was pushed forward. Today the Delhi Metro is able to do the same distance in less than a month.

However when the tunnel was ready, carts could not use it since there were no ramps for them to enter and exit the tunnel due to a cash crunch! So it was used by pedestrians for over 20 years.

In the 1869 the tunnel was taken over by London Railway and finally it became part of the London Metropolitan Railway.

Those (fat) wonderful men on their flying machines

2008-02-07T11:21:00.000+05:30

Walking across India Gate I came across this strange sight - scores of policemen waiting on their motorbikes.

As they drove past, I realised that it was part of some parade practice and half of these were traffic poilicemen !

As they kept this drill for hours I panicked - Who was managing the traffic on the roads ????

No wonder this city needs a Metro !

Pragati Maidan redux

2008-01-13T14:38:00.001+05:30

With Auto Expo tickets now available at Metro stations it is so much more convenient to get to Pragati Maidan. While over 1 lakh people went to see the show on Saturday, 70,000 of them came via the Metro ! This is a huge number for the station at Pragati Maidan which normally handles 10,000 commuters daily.

Remember the time when going to the Book Fair or any other event at the Pragati Maidan was a nightmare. You either had to park your car (or get down from the bus) miles away and walk to the entrance. The main road was always shut down to traffic from one direction and you could see long lines of people walking towards the Gate No. 2. Till two years back, one would think twice about venturing out to such an event.

With the metro opening a station inside the complex, commuters don't have to worry about the long walk. They get off the station and bang they are in the middle of it all. That is why the added rush for Auto Expo this year. Other international events have actually begun to attract attention like they used to 10 years back. A similar thing had happened with CP once the Metro connected it up with West, East and North Delhi.

Lets just hope they remember to keep a Metro connection when they shift Pragati Maidan to its new location.

the metro has competition ?

2008-01-11T20:18:00.002+05:30

Now that the Nano here it will cost only you 2 rupees for every kilometer you drive. That's really cheap.

On the ride back, everyone in the Metro was discussing the (de)merits of this car (costs, pollution, increasing traffic). It struck me that most of the people travelling already own a car. In fact some of them were protesting that they had just bought a new car and now would not buy a new one for some time.

Their logic confounded me. In a city like Delhi, while initially there will be many takers for the Nano, as the Metro reaches to the far corners and connects the suburbs, the demand for small cars will reach a plateau. In fact it will be in cities like Kanpur or Pune where the public transport is in shambles or riding a two wheeler is no longer safe, this car will be a hit.

According to the New York Times however, the car is a boon for families that have been traveling on scooters for years. While I agree that the car has made it affordable to own a four wheeler, the costs of running a small car will still be much higher compared to a two wheeler which only costs you less that a rupee to a kilometer. And if you are driving alone 50 percent of the time, most two wheeler owners will continue with their vehicles

Actually the markets in India are so large it is impossible that the Nano will impact sales of either two wheelers or larger cars. Expensive bikes will be continued to be bought by bike enthusiasts. In larger cities the Nano might become a second car for the spouse or kids. The cheaper two wheelers will continue and so will cars like Santro and Alto. The Maruti 800 will be hit but in any case its engine was a little outdated.

However nothing to beat the Metro. No sir - not even the innovation of Tata can take away the fact that I can get to any place in half the time. Now maybe someone should think of a 5 lakh helicopter !!!

PS Will someone tell Bajaj that they will not be able to compete in the small car segment if they do not have their production systems in place. They have admitted that they will not deliver their small car this year. What was the point of the launch in 2008?

Optional Metro announcement to liven up the journey

2008-01-06T11:27:00.001+05:30

Thank you for choosing the Delhi Metro. TING !

At present we are Rajendra Place (or palace in the local dialect)
an office complex created to rival Nehru Place
now looks like it is dying
since everyone is moving to Gurgaon

TING !

As we move
to your right you can see
all the tuition and competitive schools
along Pusa Road
that were so famous during the 90's

TING !

Pickpocketeers have been identified
in the station
(this is a real message and I do not understand why they have it so I have appended my suggestion)
please keep a dummy bag
so that you can fool them

TING !

We have now arrived at Karol Bagh
the market which refuses to change with the times
the shops still look the same
in most shops the owners still insist that there can be no bargaining
but drop the price to half when you walk away

TING !

We are now five minutes away from Rajeev Chowk (CP to the politically unconcious)
on your right (if your are facing the front)
is the large statue of Hanuman
staring at you
it took twenty years to build this monstrous thing
with the scaffolding coming off only a year back

TING !

Someone is trying to get into the train
when the doors are closing
please identify this person
and hand over to the Metro personnel
otherwise the train will not move

TING !

If Sitara Devi is till on the train
please get off at the next station
You were day dreaming when your family got off at Karol Bagh

TING !

Now we are nearing Rajeev Chowk
as you get off please push hard
those wanting to get in will want to enter first
and then you may not get a chance to get off

Once you step onto the platform
please try to look composed
post the pushing and shoving
since our close circuit cameras will be watching you

Have a good day and return for the same excitement in the evening.

Explorations 5 - the suburb that metro forgot

2007-12-29T11:08:00.002+05:30

Now that Faridabad is also going to be on the Metro map, all the adjoining towns are going to be linked up.

Well almost.

There is a industrial township just outside Delhi that is not. Sahibabad.

Many decades ago, as factories began to spring up just beyond Shahdara on the highway to Meerut, no one thought that this will do into a large suburb. Last week as I had to go to Sahibabad on an errand, I realized that the Metro when completed in 2010 will terminate at the Delhi border. And the funny thing is that nowhere else is the metro needed more.

If only the Metro were extended five kilometers - the residents will benefit of course, but the Metro would also make a killing on the daily numbers that commute to work. The system could be the same as in Dwarka. The Metro has stops on the main road. Cycle rickshaws take commuters to their destinations from the station.

As one crosses the border, the roads gives way into portholes, the autos are replaced by the loud Vikrams and you are transformed into an industrial town that the world-is-flat theories have left behind. If you are lucky, you can enjoy the bumpy ride in a car but i think the rackety buses are better since the noise they make cushions the shocks from below.

The plan of the town is somewhat strange. Along the highway there are factories while the residential areas are behind them. To get to a residential area one has to negotiate a traffic snarl that can put purani dilli to shame.

However this township is unlike anything you can get to see around Delhi - Gurgaon, NOIDA, G Bad or F Bad. The factories stare at you, you can actually see denting workshops repairing the huge monstrous trucks lined up along the roads and there are no signs that its Christmas (or New Year) time. The factories make all kinds of things - from pistons to cable to cooler fans. These are the urban farmlands that feed the hungry buildings in the city that we live.

If you are in the mood you can get to watch the latest Akshay Kumar flick in a seedy hall named Star.

Route Plan: (Only for the strong hearted) Get off at the last Metro station on the Shahdara line and then take a rickshaw to the Delhi border, get onto a Vikram and begin your ride through this industrial relic

Concert in Central Park

2007-12-02T08:18:00.002+05:30

Went to the opening of the SAARC bands festival in CP

when the first band came on - advaita - the crowds were a little disappointing
i guess four o clock was too early for some of us
but pretty soon the entire Central Park filled up
from the college crowds
to forty year olds who were reliving their rocking years

in the last two years
ever since the metro connected up
the north, west and east of the city to CP
the place is filled up with all kinds of folks
in the evening
out shopping or just like that

a decade ago this was not possible
having spent so many years
crisscrossing the inner circle
i have seen the traffic grow
knocking off the
shoppers and college kids
to places like Priya
or Saket

now with two of the theatres
Plaza and Rivoli
refurbished
new stores opening up
and the metro operating
the crowds are back

the central park
has also been done up
with a performance area
and informal seating arrangements
on grass

As we walked out of the concert
to head for the metro
hearing
the echoes of strings
i thought
this was going to be a sweet winter

smart move

2007-11-14T11:38:00.001+05:30

bought a smart card for the Metro yesterday

so now i can pretend to be busy

rush in and out of the stations

without standing in line for the tickets!

i started noticing actually a lot of the regular office goers and students

also use them

damn!

i thought i was the pioneer at least in this one

the good old (polluted) winters are back

2007-11-05T11:24:00.001+05:30

this is scary stuff

hindustan times reports that
Delhi’s air has been as polluted and lethal over the past fortnight
as it was before the introduction of CNG in 2001

remember the gloomy evenings
and smog that used to hang around the roads
those days

so all struggle to get CNG buses in
was of no use since we were busy buying cars for ourselves
but what is really scary is the steep rise in diesel vehicles
alomost 30 percent of vehicles registered today are diesel
compared to 2 percent in 2001

so what is the solution?
walk
cycle
and use the metro

diwali rush

2007-11-01T19:48:00.001+05:30

its that time of the year
when everyone packs their maruti vans with gifts
and starts doing the rounds
distributing them to their clients

just my luck that i decided to take an auto from CP
it was a long traffic jam all the way

half way
i just got off and walked to the next metro station
immense relief

better crowd
less smoke
home in ten minutes
(OK twenty if you count that i walked back from the station)

maybe its time to sell the car

2007-11-01T07:43:00.000+05:30

driving in rush hour traffic
it suddenly dawned on me
that i had taken out the car
for the first time in a month

of course i had been traveling
for shoots out of Delhi
but i can recall at least
10 trips to CP
where i never reached for my car keys

now i do not look forward to visiting places
that are not on the metro route

so how much of my carbon footprint have i reduced?
well quite a lot
(for a guy who used to drive at least 500 km every month)
but more importantly
i have been walking a lot
around CP
rediscovering the place
that used to be my haunt many years ago

meeting to south delhi
require a short ride by an auto
and more often i return
with A in the car

how long can i sustain this ?
let me take it one metro ride at a time...

things to do in metro during morning rush hour

2007-10-28T16:34:00.001+05:30

1. Stare outside the window hoping that you will find the answer to your boss's questions written on a hoarding
2. Put on earhones and retend the cell phone in your pocket is actually an i-pod
3. Stitch a sweater (don't do this in summer) for your nephew/grandson/neighbour's son
4. Hold hands and smile at each other
5. Read a letter from your boy friend which says - "I'm v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v .v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v sorry. I love you. Have faith in god....."
6. Read the same letter while standing behind the girl
7. Check the metro map for the 10th time to figure out when you have to get off, although you do the trip everyday
8. Squat
9. Read a book while standing up (this is me)
10. Stand at the wrong door and push your way out when the station comes as if you has just discovered a bomb in the train

biking down to the metro

2007-10-22T15:31:00.001+05:30

last August when I was in Paris
i came across a set of bikes
arranged in order
waiting for people to pick them up
for a ride in the city

my friend told me this was new project
started in July 15
aimed at solving the city's traffic problems
anyone can rent out one
using a credit card
there are 15000 bikes near all the metro stations

while the first half hour is free
the costs go up to 160 rupees (4USD) per half hour
after one and half hours
an average ride costs about 2USD

the bikes themselves are
sturdy
have three speed gears
and have survived uses by thousands of cyclists
according to the official website
the bikes have been rented six million times
and the users have ridden over seven million miles

why can't we have
this kind of options
for Delhi
with bikes lined up at the stations?

in places like Dwarka
or CP
this would work ideally for people
who have to return to the metro station
of course one could also have a monthly pass system
that could tie up with the metro pass

in new colonies in Gurgaon and Vasant Kunj
that will be connected in the future
bikes would work very well
since the metro will not be able to cover
the entire sector or block

this would also mean a reduction
in auto rickshaws (therefore less pollution)

however this would mean
a re-planning of our roads
so that they become more cycle friendly
right now a cyclist has no chance of surviving them...

ride to Karim's

2007-10-18T06:37:00.001+05:30

went with a couple of friends to karim's
yesterday night
with the evenings turning colder
the ride on the metro was fun

its surprising that
most dilliwalahs
are yet to take a ride on the metro
and each time i go with a friend
they are amazed how easy it has become
to go to purani dilli
earlier they would come to this side of town
once a year

of course the trip is a historian's delight
starting at green park
parking the car near rail bhavan
the India gate lit up at a distance
an auto to Old Delhi from CP
we returned by the Metro
from Chawri Bazaar

the entire area around Jama Masjid was lit up
(either they forgot to take off the lights after Id
or they were celebrating Dussehra in advance)
money changers and beggars roamed around in the crowds
i couldn't help noticing the the large number of families that were
walking the markets so late in the night

i really cannot
describe the meal in
english language
just a note to say
that as usual we ordered too much
yet my friends
asked for another phirni
in the end

we walked back to the station
since there was still time for the last train
(metro has trains running till 11 now)
we spotted a man holding five toy swords
(no doubt for his nephews and nieces)
and i was remined of Dussehra as a child

we finished the trip
with coffee at barista
(takeaways only since they do not serve after 11)
in three hours we had sampled
food products that spanned
several continents and centuries...

creativity

2007-08-30T08:59:00.001+05:30

first it was the buses

now its the metro !

photo : Aditi Prakash

rush hour on the Metro

2007-08-30T08:20:00.001+05:30

had to leave my car for servicing in CP
on my return i found that there were many people
waiting for the Dwarka train
i wondered where were they going?

Delhi
unlike Mumbai or Kolkatta
rarely has traffic flowing in one direction
and that seems to be the case with the Metro too

when i worked in Mumbai for a project
i had to travel from Andheri to Worli
the system i followed was this
if i had to go in for an edit
would be to catch the 8.40 train from Andheri
which was crowded but manageable
anything later was impossible

if i had meeting later in the day
i would catch the train at 11
and try returning by 4
in both cases the train would be empty
(this rule holds true in Delhi Metro too as of now)

however
during morning rush hour
the trains in Mumbai leaving from town
for the suburbs would be empty
but this is not the case in Delhi

mornings
people are travelling from Dwarka to CP and beyond
and there are people travelling to Dwarka line
to places like Jhandewalan, Rajendra Place & Karol Bagh

on the other line
students are rushing off to the University
while sarkari employees are coming to work
there is no escape

and when the metro expands to NOIDA
and Gurgaon
the situation will remain the same
(i know friends who drives from NOIDA to Gurgaon to work
and the other way)
of course the Metro
will cut down travel time
but the trains will be crowded
both ways

today
i decided
to hang around a bookshop
at the Metro station
and catch the train later
it was less crowded

how long will that be the case ?

metro = interesting?

2007-08-19T12:51:00.001+05:30

traveling on the metro is fast, easy and comfortable
but BORING
why does station after station looks the same?

DMRC initially claimed
that each station will reflect the feel of the locality
and they had started off pretty shakily
will school kids putting murals on pillars

but mostly entrances
and insides of stations still look pretty drab
i think we need to look elsewhere for inspiration

in Paris for example
almost every third station entrance
has a different look

while a lot of it
would look out of place here
we could still try
more innovative things
with artists and craftspeople here

each journey
to a new station can then be a new experience...

Explorations 4 - Matka Pir

2007-08-18T07:33:00.002+05:30

Route Plan: Get off at the Pragati Maidan Station walk towards the Zoo. A sign indicates the dargah on the left side of the road. You can see matkas along the wall facing the road.

Of course, the first two times I came here for the biryani. Then I started asking around about the huge number of upturned matkas on the trees in that compound.

This is no ordinary dargah. If you ask for something and your wish comes true you cannot get away with a simple tying of thread or presenting a chaddar. Here devotees have to return with jaggery, sugar, channa and milk if their wish has been fulfilled.

The story is that the pir Hazrat Sheikh Abu Bakr Tulshi Haideri Kalandari Rahmatullah (wow is that how they said it evrytime in those days when they annlounced him?????) refused to go to court of Giasuddin Balban. So the king sent matkas with balls of iron and mud in them. The pir of course turned the iron pellets into channa and the mud into jaggery.

Another story tells us that it was the pir who drew a line on the ground with a stick to indicate to the Yamuna that she could not flow beyond this since she was flooding her banks and destroying homes each year. I think the river has taken it very seriously and reduced itself to a stream. Or is it that the followers of the pir stole this magical stick and kept redrawing the line reducing the flow of the river?

Come here in the evenings to enjoy the light breeze from the Yamuna . And pick up biryanis and kababs on your way back home.

musicians in the metro

2007-08-15T10:40:00.001+05:30

in paris
ran into a group
that seemed like they do this everyday

while single musicians
do climb onto the metro in between stations
this one was a surprise
they played full pieces
with the communters
walking by

beware of trapping your hands

2007-08-15T10:33:00.001+05:30

i don't know what is funnier
bunnies travelling on the Paris metro
or printing signs for them in different languages???????????

riding up the tünel ın Istanbul

2007-07-22T17:35:00.001+05:30

went for an trip to Taksim Square
on the tünel
actually a single bogey tramlike contraption
which runs underground
from Karaköy to Tünel Square

the ride was hardly five minutes
the train literally creaked
as it climbed up the hill

no wonder
it is desctribed as a
''railway in the form of an escalator''
this supposed to be the second oldest form of underground transport
after the London Underground

after i had wandered around a bit
i decided walk down to the hotel
when i caught sight of this cute lookıng tram
what a ride !!
the system is slow but works fine
since the streets designated for the tram
rarely have cars

with shops lined up on both sides
you can window shop as you
move along

it must be fun growing up
in this city
that is if your parents let you ride these things alone...

ferrying to the tram Istanbul style

2007-07-21T21:50:00.002+05:30

today i ended up takıng
three dıfferent modes of publıc transport
ferry,train & the tram
have the metro and the bus
on my agenda next

Istanbul is traveller´s delight
so many ways to move around
how many cities can claim more than four?

the tram system started way back in 1869
in fact the official tram website
lists six(!) different transport systems over land
that are beıng managed today

an interesting trivia is that
most trips cost the same
about 50 rupees
it does not matter how far you are going

if you think that is strange
check this out...

you can get a smart tıcket - Akbıl
that can be used
on all publıc buses, ships, ferrıes, metro and tunnel systems
so if i am hopping from one system to the other
i do not have to buy a new ticket
just walk across and board that tram
or bus
or metro
or ferry

now if only we would have something
lıke this for the Metro and the DTC in delhi....
but not at Istanbul prices !!!

metro at your doorstep

2007-07-13T07:43:00.003+05:30

Finally the Metro is going to get its own buses to help people get to the stations.

The idea is to connect you to the last "mile".

Here is a list of routes although the buses have not hit the road yet.

goodbye BLUE LINE

2007-07-12T11:08:00.001+05:30

so finally the blue lines are on their way out

and the metro is filling up

this was long time coming with accidents - left, right and centre

i hope they are able to get some new buses on the road soon

else be ready for more of these

How the Metro helped reinvent CP

2007-07-08T07:58:00.001+05:30

Hindustan Times has this article on how CP is booming again partly due to the Metro.

Remember the time when the shokeepers were protesting against the metro construction and how it was taking away their business. Well apparently all that has changed. Business is up since Metro brings in people from all parts of the city. An additional clientèle are students from Delhi University who drop in often.

Unlike in the past when CP was considered an upper-crust market, now all classes of people come to shop here ”, says 70-year-old Satish Sundra of Ram Chandra and Sons, the city’s oldest toy shop.

Since the Metro attracts middle class travelers, it is interesting to note that most shopping complexes and markets along the Metro have reported an increase in footfalls. Easier to use the metro, shop and get back on the train than wasting a couple of hours to park your car and retrieve it.

School kids create art for the metro

2007-07-04T07:54:00.001+05:30

Here is a story of how school kids helped add colour to the metro. Metro joined hands with schools on Pusa Road and got murals on pillars with painted railings running alongside.

Apart from making the place more beautiful it also helps children appreciate our city better when they are involved in the process.

Hope they are able to continue this all over the city.

These pillars are on Pusa Road between the Rajendra Place and Karol Bagh stations.

the line to qutub

2007-07-03T22:24:00.001+05:30

finally the plans are out

the route is going to be underground (saket is strangely called qutub)

and will be finished by 2010

the stations are going to be "more functional and aesthetic"

and this make them less claustrophobic (?????)

whatever

just finish the line

am itching to go to green park without using a car or an auto

Explorations 3 - Khooni Darwaza

2007-06-27T21:51:00.001+05:30

Route Plan: Get off the Pragati Maidan Metro Station and walk towards ITO. Khooni Darwaza is opposite the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds on the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.

Built in Sher Shah Suri's reign this gate was one of the entrances to the Pura Qila. Initially it was known as Kabuli Darwaza because of the caravans that came from that part of the country.

I thought it got its present name when Major Hodson murdered the sons of Bahadur Shah Zafar - Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan and grandson Mirza Abu Bakar, at the gate after the king's surrender to the British on September 22, 1857.

But apparently the name became popular during the Moghul days. Jahangir, ordered the killing of two sons of Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khanan here on the charges of being traitors. Aurangzeb hanged the head of his elder brother Dara Shikoh at the gate after he ousted his father Shahjahan.

Wikipedia tells me that it is one of the 13 surviving gates of Delhi. 13?????? One trip to Chhattarpur and you can see bigger gates surviving !!!!

Ramsay Brothers of course have their own interpretation.

New York City Subway Smell Map

2007-06-27T11:14:00.001+05:30

There are maps and maps. This one takes the cake. When will Delhi have one?

moscow metro token

2007-06-27T11:07:00.001+05:30

This is how the token in the Moscow metro looks like. More details here.

And while you are there please translate it for me.

The line to NOIDA

2007-06-27T10:21:00.002+05:30

THE Delhi Government today gave its approval for the extension of Delhi Metro Line to Noida. That will be good news for lots of people who struggle with buses everytoday.

The line should be ready by 2009. The route will be Noida Sector 15, Sector 16, Sector 18, Noida Botanical Garden Station, Golf Course Station and Sector 32 City Centre Station.

Here is a blog on the NOIDA metro that has regular updates.

Urban Legend

2007-06-23T10:03:00.001+05:30

Heard this exchange in a car at ITO.

"See - that is the new metro extension which will eventually go to NOIDA"
"This one ?"
"In south Delhi metro will even reach Lajpat Nagar"
"When?"
"That I do not know - but those guys are going to have it bad"
"Why?"
"As it is they have a water problem. After the metro comes there will be no water."

At this point i intervened.

"Why? What's the connection?"
"Ask anybody, wherever the metro has been built the water levels have gone down."

I could not even think of a counter punch. I went down and stayed on the mat, laughing. After all I had to catch the metro from CP to reach home in time to pump water to my overhead tanks.

how many people were on the metro today?

2007-06-20T22:11:00.001+05:30

Well according to DMRC over 5 lakh
Out of which 2 lakh travel on the Dwarka line which ends at Indraprastha as of now

But I could not understand then why are there more trains running on the University Line
How they account for that?

And if i take the train at Shadra
change at ISBT to CP
and then change again to go to Dwarka
Will my journey be calculated thrice?

Confusing
but the good news is that more people are traveling with me
whenever I get on the metro
compared to 1998 (since there was no metro at that time!)

how to give directions using the metro

2007-06-20T19:15:00.001+05:30

A new trend. People give directions to their office using the metro pillars.

For example - turn left at pillar 114 or take right on the traffic light after pillar 120.

Coming Soon : postal addresses (opposite pillar 144 or near pillar 157). That will be the day.

The metro and my car usage

2007-06-15T10:11:00.001+05:30

it was last year June that I shifted to Karol Bagh
which meant that I ended up using the metro more often
trips to CP and Dwarka
but also to Mayur Vihar and Khan Market
(in the latter two cases one has to do a short trip by auto after one gets off the last station)

one thing I completely forgot was my car usage
so when I took it for servicing last week
I realized I had only done about half of what I do in a year
earlier if I was using my car four or five times a week
now it is reduced to about two times

I am waiting for my metro fad to wear off
then I may be back to polluting the world some more

Rickshaws Vs Buses

2007-06-12T10:23:00.001+05:30

Rickshaws have been removed from the main roads of Old Delhi and CNG buses have finally been introduced. Initially the residents were not sure about this move but after a day they seem happy.

Ever since the metro has come to this part of Delhi there has been talk about improving the traffic situation since more people are now landing up in Chandni Chowk. The rickshaws were slowing down the traffic it seems.

But several people argued that removing them would mean thousands of rickshaw pullers would be out of jobs. The solution that was worked out kept the rickshaws out of the main roads which have been taken over the small buses.

This is model many areas could follow throughout the city. From Karol Bagh to GK. The rickshaws could run within the colonies while buses and cars could run on the main roads.
Places like Vasant Kunj, Dwarka and Rohini could use this combination of CNG buses and rickshaws since the DTC service is not very good within the colonies.

Let's see how this system lasts in Old Delhi.

Art in the metro

2007-06-08T08:06:00.002+05:30

While a couple of stations do have some murals and the DMRC has experimented with different styles for stations, by and large the older stations in Delhi are now looking drab.

They need to do something drastic like this to change the experience for the commuter. Also bloggers, artists and photographers need to work on the metro as something contemporary which is changing the way we live.

But I guess for that they have to use it regularly.

Finally - maps to guide you

2007-06-08T07:57:00.001+05:30

DMRC has come out with maps outside the stations to guide you on where to go, which station to get off.

I saw the one at Patel Chowk large and prominent but the strange thing was that it was being used by goras. Dilliwalahs never need maps. They believe the journey is more important than the destination. Never mind how long it takes them to find it!

whats that under your seat?

2007-06-06T13:53:00.001+05:30

The London Tube has drawn up plans to put blocks of ice under the seats of trains in an effort to keep passengers cool during summer.

God forbid if this idea is imported to Delhi. We will just break off the ice and eat it.

metro saves (really, i'd like to see the accounts)

2007-06-05T22:06:00.001+05:30

its World Environment Day
and the metro is celebrating the fact it has reduced traffic congestion and pollution levels.

according to some calculations metro has saved more than 1500 crore (rupees) in terms of fuel, optimizing travel time and reduction of environmental pollution.

but what about the trees? can we calculate their loss? how should we measure the success of the metro? any ideas?

the trees we will leave behind

2007-06-04T20:20:00.002+05:30

ever since the metro project started
the debate about cutting trees to lay lines
has been going on

the DMRC has always maintained that it has tried to minimize the loss of trees
by changing the routes
and tried to plant new trees

as more and more of the city comes under the metro
people are predicting that delhi will loose
a large part of their tree cover
many of them have actually joined hands to
make the government act before
the lines in south delhi and completed

what has been the experience in other places
with this new found
interest in environment (sorry, climate change is the new buzz)
any suggestions on how to avoid this situation?

Raja of Gawalior and Northern India Transport Company

2007-06-02T06:31:00.001+05:30

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is going in for a new fleet of buses. They are also planning a revamp of their bus depots to build budget hotels (Imagine a conversation between two travellers during the Commonwealth Games - I'm staying in Vasant Vihar Depot and you? I'm in Sarojni Nagar Depot). They are also procuring 60 GPS fitted buses for the Metro feeder routes.

I was never a big fan of the DTC. Remember the Red, Green and Blue line buses? Years of reckless driving by them finally forced the government to look for alternatives like the metro. Seems to me that the DTC will become secondary to the Metro by 2010 in terms of number of people it will carry.

I found out that the DTC started off as the Gawalior and Northern India Transport Company and was incorporated in 1948. Read about all such exciting details here.

pir ghaib update

2007-05-29T09:47:00.001+05:30

Just an update to this blog I wrote on the Pir Ghaib. Nehru Planetarium has discovered that it may not be a hunting lodge but could have been an observatory. It seems that the Muslim rulers were equally interested in the movement of celestial bodies as their Hindu counterparts. A zenith tube found in the complex could have been used to correct clocks in the 14th century.

Check out this place next Sunday. Instructions to get to the place are here.

make your token go the extra mile on the metro

2007-05-29T09:25:00.002+05:30

On Sunday, I was off to Old Delhi. And the metro was crowded like hell. I guess a lot of the families were going to parathe wali gali and such like. Me and my friend forgot to get off at Chawri Bazaar. So we did the most natural thing. Got off the next (Chandni Chowk) station and then promptly got onto the train in the opposite direction.

You can do that with the Metro. As long as you do not spend more than two hours getting in and out, you can travel as much as you want. The trick is to not leave the station and get off at the destination where your ticket is valid. I can already see kids cruising the metro in the near future because of this loophole.

At the Chawri Bazaar station one ends up walking four flights of stairs to reach the exit points and if you have come from CP it looks like a different world. My friend who had come from Gurgaon ended up using three modes of transport – his car, the metro and rickshaw. I could see many tourists and families (south delhi types) heading off for excursions. The roads were half empty and most of the shops were shut. This sight always looks strange to me but there was a Japanese group walking through admiring the old buildings on the road leading to Jama Masjid. I’m sure they would not been able to survive Chandni Chowk for even a minute on Monday!!!

Yet another Metro Line

2007-05-26T07:43:00.001+05:30

From Central Secretariat – Khan Market – Defence Colony – Okhla – Badarpur. Yummy, now (in two years) it will be possible to go to Stone (Def Col) get drunk and return home without an accident.

But I found the artist’s impression in Hindustan Times of the metro crossing the Defence Colony flyover really funny. If you look carefully there are two lanes for traffic, one dedicated bus corridor and a metro line. Isn’t that a little too much to squeeze into that space? Or is that the artist is got the proportions wrong with the buildings falling over?

Anyways, residents are already up in arms that this will damage the skyline of the “historic” city. I can’t understand this logic. What's "historic" about Def Col and GK I that the metro is going to damage? Thank god none of these idiots were there when the Qutub Minar was built. A city's skyline keeps changing as it grows and that is the charm.

The only reason the metro should be below the ground in some places is for security or safety. Some of the views you get on the Dwarka line are simply amazing. You can actually see those portions of the city on western edge that are getting built and brought under green cover.

I have another suggestion for saving the skyline in fact this would improve it. MCD should pass a rule that in future all houses in South Delhi must be built underground. That way we won’t get to see the eyesores.

Image : Hindustan Times

Access to the disabled

2007-05-24T09:45:00.001+05:30

Hindustan Times has a page long write up on making the metro disable friendly. (OK I know the link goes to the front page, just click on page 8 on the left bar.)

India has one of the highest populations of disabled. This does not mean that they are all sitting at home. Many of them go to work and use public facilities on a daily basis. But more often than not they come up against situations where they do not have access to certain facilities.

All public buildings and areas in Delhi suffer from this problem with maybe Dilli Haat being an exception. In the case of the Metro since a direct issue of safety is involved DMRC needs to move fast.

As more and more people use the metro disabled people will also join in. Time we thought what we can do for them.

Karol Bagh history update

2007-05-22T23:39:00.002+05:30

Dan Cherian points out :

Just saw your Mon, 14th May blog on Karol Bagh on the 0611metro website. Karol Bagh derives its name from a medieval orchard – Khillauli Bagh. Not Carol Bagh from the Christian population there.

Khillauli or Khiloli Bagh can be seen on older British maps when no suburb existed and can be seen as such till as recently as the 1807 ‘Sketch of the Environs of Delhi’ map (now reprinted commercially by the Survey of India). Over the later Mughal period, the larger orchard was repeatedly sub-divided and finally the purge of 1857 saw a suburb emerge. It became a large brick kiln area as well and quite a bit of the earlier stage construction material for British New Delhi.

Am not able to confirm that story. Would any of you dilliwalahs (or lahoris) be able help us out ?

who is a commuter ?

2007-05-19T21:04:00.001+05:30

Today we use the word for someone who travels. But how did the word come about? My friend had an interesting story. I checked it and it turned out to be true.

Here is the full definition, but for those in a hurry :

"Americans did not invent the suburbs, but they did create the commuter--someone who shuttles from a home in the suburbs to a job in the city and back again every day. Residing at a considerable distance from work was made possible by the invention of the railroad, and the name for someone who did so was made possible by the invention in the 1840s of a ticket good for multiple rides, the commutation ticket. Here commutation means "an exchange of one thing for another," especially if the new thing is a consolidation or reduction of the old. That is what the commutation ticket did: it exchanged individual tickets for a collective one at a lower price. The holder of such a ticket, being involved in the commutation, was thus called a commuter. Here is an 1865 exerpt from the Atlantic Monthly about railroads: "Two or three may be styled commuters' roads, running chiefly for the accommodation of city business-men with suburban residences."

In that statement we already see the modern connection of commuter with a lifestyle rather than a kind of ticket. Soon it no longer mattered whether the person held a commutation ticket, only where the person lived and worked. A commuter could ride a trolley, subway, cable car, or ferry as well as a train. In the twentieth century the commuter turned to the bus and automobile. "

now let me go and google metro and subway.

metro art

2007-05-17T20:24:00.001+05:30

Antonio Jorge Goncalves travelled to ten of the worlds largest cities to draw people on subway trains – he spends about 3 weeks in each city, making drawings for his site, subway-life.

The site itself carries the metaphor through nicely – first we are introduced to a subway map where we see the names of cities he has travelled in.

As we click further we hear sounds and images Goncalves has captured.

the North/South (delhi) divide

2007-05-17T19:29:00.001+05:30

As the metro comes to South Delhi, it has managed to divide people.

While the people in the North part of the city have no problem with overhead lines, South is up in arms about how pillars will damage the skyline of the city.

What skyline are we talking about? Illiegal constructions and buildings falling over each other? Cable, electricity and telephonbe lines crisscrossing each other?

People can come up with the silliest of arguements to spend more money and delay projects. How long do you want to keep waiting on roads?

fun on the metro

2007-05-17T07:38:00.001+05:30

Metro? Fun? Enjoy !

Carol Bagh

2007-05-14T21:30:00.001+05:30

Walking thru Karol Bagh today, one can see a new set of tourists coming here. I am not talking about the Russians (15 years back they discovered K Bags as a haven for cheap clothes and ran a thriving export business). Most of the new ones come here to soak in Delhi's history.

They find it cheaper to stay here and travel by the metro. Ideally located (near CP and old Delhi) with the station and airport half-hour away.

Being close to the centre of the city, K Bags has always attracted different communities throughout the last century. Apparently it got its name from the numerous Christians who lived there and would take out processions on the street singing “Carols”. One locality - Regarhpura, houses members of the Reghar tribe, who were employed by the British as labourers in the construction of New Delhi.

After partition many of the refugees moved here. Later Bengalis, Tamilians and Malayalis have settled in droves with specialized shops catering to "Madrasis". Gaffar Market became an important place where we could buy all kinds of “smuggled” electronic goods and "imported" shoes.

By the late 90’s the market was a crowded urban jungle. Karol Bagh had become a concept.

Here is a letter by one Mr. Nalin Rai that I found (such are the joys of Internet) in a back issue of Down to Earth, where Karol Bagh is being evoked to explain out of control urbanization:

The article ‘High altitude sickness’ (Down To Earth, Vol 13, No 9, September 30, 2004) highlights the systematic rape of hills under the garb of tourism. Hill towns anywhere in the country have become an extension of the popular Karol Bagh market of New Delhi, both in the literal and metaphorical sense.

Now I hear that according to Master Plan 2021(???), the use of rickshaws is being planned to make Karol Bagh free of motorized traffic . Great news. One will walk safer in the market.

But I would like to warn you. Free of motorized traffic does not mean pedestrian friendly. Not in Karol Bagh. The place might become a live action video game with hawkers laying siege to the roads too - as it happens on Mondays each week.

Explorations 2 - Pir Ghaib

2007-05-14T12:43:00.001+05:30

Route Plan: Get off the Tis Hazari Station and walk towards Rani Jhansi road junction. Turn right into the Ridge at the junction. Pir Ghaib is near the Hindu Rao Hospital.

With all this din about 1857, here is a place you can look up if you are spending time around the University.

Near the Hindu Rao Hospital lies a rubble of a double storey structure, popularly known as Pir Ghaib, which means 'Vanishing Saint'. There are some remains of a Baoli or step well nearby. The place got its name after a saint who disappeared while meditating here.

While studying at the university I used to pass this place taking the short cut through the Ridge on the days that I was lucky to get the only car I shared with mom and dad. Otherwise it was short walk (in winter) from Tis Hazari or the University.

Built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq it was supposed to be a hunting lodge. Now the ASI is studying the building as a possible astronomical observatory because the hollow masonry cylinder perforating the floor resembles a structure put up later by Jai Singh of the Jantar Mantar fame.

The place gained importance in 1857 when it was the centre of action during the siege of Delhi. Many of the sepoys hid in this area during the months of May and June. Later when the British captured Delhi, Pir Ghaib was used as outpost to keep track of rival armies in the area.

It is interesting that most of the people who come to Pir Ghaib today are non- Muslims from a nearby village. The practice apparently started after 1857 when many Muslims were expelled from Delhi for five years and other communities began to take care of the place.

Today the monument is almost hidden away in the ridge with occasional lovers and college student group wandering into the compound.

Hang Out Joint 1

2007-05-13T21:03:00.001+05:30

Finally a bakery joint has opened up at East Patel Nagar Market–Breads & More. Delighted, I have become a regular, picking up different loaves (whole wheat and all that crap!). I thought the thing would not last, what with Punjabi aunties turning away from health food and all.

But these guys had it all figured out – they rolled out their cakes and pastries to attract the Punjabis. Last evening the place was full of people stuffing themselves. If you are anywhere near Patel Nagar check out the breads. Get off at the Patel Nagar station. It’s a short walk or take a rickshaw.