The city is plastered with blue metal barriers with "Delhi Metro" written in red on them. There are crews working furiously, sweating, and with a singular focusses look about them. Some really tall cranes, 20 by 30 feet digging away or installing the shell along the route - I couldnt see over the barriers, they are too high.
Anyway, I've ridden the metro twice and it's been a great experience. Firstly, it covers a huge distance, linking far flung areas in west/north delhi to central Delhi. The stations are clean, airy, and efficient.
One has the option of buying a monthly pass or a token. The cost is minimal, 2.75 Rupees for a 1 stop journey, and 11 from north to central Delhi in 14 minutes. The tokens are plastic with chips embedded in them. You wave the chip in front of an automated barrier that lets you in. No TTC grandpa's collecting coins at the turnstiles.
At Rajiv Chowk station, there is a bank of boxes where you can drop-off cheque payments for credit card bills (one for each issuing bank), utilities, and cell companies. Convenience for customers. The plaforms and escalators are wide and clean. There are electronic signboard that tell you which station the next train will be going to, and also shows how many minutes to the next train.
There is no pushing/shoving to enter the train and people are permitted to get off the train before other passengers board the train. During peak hours, there is a "cop" who with a whistle controls the crowd. No signs of bombay train mayhem . . . good sign!
The trains themselves are clean, cool with great air-conditioning, and spacious. To offselt costs, the steel handles passengers hold onto have been hawked off to companies so they can plaster them with their ads, good strategy.
But best is that you get cell phone reception . . .imagine, you can continue chatting and try sharing your life's details with another 30 people . . . try because everyone else is doing the same. Cell phones are so ubiqious now . . . everyone, even cleaner of public lavatories have them!!
One thing did remind me of TTC though . . .an annoncement . . "Please sand back behind the yellow line for your safetly" lol . . . .
1 comment:
We loved the Delhi Metro, which is why I want a map of the Metro, a good one like the TTC ones. One suitable for frameing. But none of my Indian brothers will oblige. Get it off the website they say. Thanks I say.
Can the Delhi Metro workers transfer to Mumbai to help finish the Worli - Bandra Sealink?
NC
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