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Getting Around Public Transport The first phase of the long-discussed Delhi metro – officially, the Mass Rapid Transit System or MRTS – is now under construction. It is hoped that the first trains will be running by January 2003, although the first phase of the MRTS will not fully be in operation until the end of 2005. The system will be partly overground, partly elevated and partly underground and will extend to 62 km (39 miles). The tunnelling required for the underground was due to start in the summer of 2002. The MRTS will, it is hoped, reduce the dependence of Delhi’s population on the car, with the benefits this should bring to the city and its environment. There are also several schemes afoot to improve the flow of traffic in the city, the most important of which is the construction of flyovers. Eleven flyovers have been built since 1998-99 and there are plans for a further 45, over the next decade. However, Delhi remains addicted to the car – the number of vehicles registered in the city has increased by 90% since 1991 – and congestion, noise and pollution are a constant nuisance. There are public buses in Delhi, although finding a seat is an undertaking that challenges all Western notions of courtesy and personal space. Once on, passengers should be prepared for a numbing, bone-crunching ride. The Delhi Transport Corporation (tel: (011) 331 7445; website: http://dtc.nic.in) operates a centralised bus network of more than 300 routes. There are a number of tourist services, including bus 454 between Connaught Place and Nizamuddin, bus 505 to Mehrauli and Qutb Minar, bus 620 to Chanakyapuri and buses 101 and 139 between Park Hotel and the Red Fort. There is a row of seats on the left of each bus reserved for women, although this rule is observed only on a whim. DTC also operate a night bus service. Bus fare costs between Rs5 and Rs10 and is paid upon boarding. A DTC General All-Route Pass costs Rs400-450 and is available from Scindia House (tel: (011) 331 7445) or one of 36 other pass sections, including Red Fort, Delhi Gate and Shahdara Terminal. The easiest way to get around the city is by taxi or auto-rickshaw (see below). Recently the government, in an attempt to tackle the city’s air pollution, forced taxis and auto-rickshaws to convert from petrol to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). This apparently has made some statistical impact – Delhi has now moved below Mumbai and Calcutta in the list of India’s most polluted cities – although standing amid the traffic’s fumes, it is difficult to believe it. The authorities are also trying to compel Delhi’s taxis and auto-rickshaws to install electronic meters, to counter the widespread overcharging of passengers – according to one recent estimate, Delhi’s commuters are overcharged Rs2 billion, approximately £30 million, annually. Unsurprisingly, this is extremely unpopular among the taxi and rickshaw wallahs and the process of conversion to electronic meters has been much slower than the authorities would have liked. Rickshaws Auto-rickshaws are open-sided, motorised tricycles, which weave in and out of Delhi’s appalling traffic and can be stopped pretty much anywhere in the city. Visitors should be prepared for an uncomfortable ride as they lurch over the bumps and potholes of Delhi’s roads, at the same level as the exhaust pipes of most lorries and buses. Four- and six-seater motorcycle rickshaws are also available, which run fixed routes at fixed prices, including the route between the Red Fort and Palika Bazaar at Connaught Place. In Old Delhi, bicycle rickshaws are useful for short distances. There is an official starting metre rate of Rs5 for auto-rickshaws but meters are invariably out of order and surcharges can exist over and above the metered price, so fares should be negotiated at the start of the journey. Drivers often expect a tip from foreign tourists and 10% of the fare is satisfactory. Taxis Yellow and black Ambassador taxis are readily available, especially at local taxi stands, where taxis can be booked and prices fixed in advance. Taxis can also be booked through hotels. Drivers do not usually expect tips unless they have gone to some trouble on their passenger’s behalf. There is a 100% surcharge between 2300 and 0500. Like auto-rickshaws, there are official rates for taxis but metered prices are generally subject to high surcharges and can be twice as expensive as auto-rickshaws. The official starting metre rate is Rs5. Prices should be negotiated at the start of the journey. Limousines For longer journeys or a day of sightseeing, Ambassador cars – of the yellow and black, or plain cream variety – with a driver are a good idea. These can be booked at the Tourist Office, through hotels or at private travel agents. Services International (tel: (011) 578 2636) provide chauffeur-driven ‘luxury’cars, including air-conditioned Mercedes and Fords. In Delhi, hire of a Mercedes plus chauffeur for eight hours would cost US$147 and a Ford US$70. Driving in the City Driving in Delhi takes a certain degree of steeliness. The broad boulevards of New Delhi pose few potential hazards. However, negotiating the vehicular chaos that is Old Delhi can test the skills of the most able driver, as bicycles and rickshaws career through the choking traffic of buses, trucks and Ambassadors, not to mention ox carts, lone wandering cows, goats and elephants. Road travel is also subject to the vagaries of VIPs, of which India has an astonishing number, with roads frequently closed for ‘VIP movement’. Night driving can be particularly dangerous, with streets and cars lit only sporadically. Car parks are few and far between and, in general, driving oneself around the city is not recommended. Car Hire Service providers include Europcar Inter-Rent (tel: (011) 619 1786) and Wheels Rent A Car (tel: (011) 331 8695). Most major hotels can also arrange car hire on the patron’s behalf. An International Driving Permit is essential for driving in India and in most cases the driver must be 25 years or over. Third party insurance is required by law. Car hire rates start at Rs2250 per day. Bicycle & Scooter Hire Cycling in New Delhi can take some courage but it is a good way of getting around the wide boulevards, which are fairly uncrowded and in relatively good condition. However, bicycle rental is hard to come by. Nevertheless, there is a small unnamed shop, in Pahar Ganj, a few doors down from Hotel Vivek, which has bicycles for hire. Lovers of vintage motorcycles come to India to indulge a penchant for its locally built Enfields. Inder Motors, on Hari Singh Malwa street (tel: (011) 572 8579), has new and second-hand Enfields for sale, while Lucky Auto Accessories, on Shri Kishan Dass Road, stocks renovated Enfield Bullets. |
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