NEW DELHI: As the Delhi government plans to expand the road network in the national capital within the ambit of a broader city development strategy, the existing infrastructure takes a beating. Over the years, the state government has unleashed a demolition spree on public infrastructures, including bus stops, to make room for wider roads and flyovers in the city. Recently, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) officials, at a seminar on methods to provide last mile connectivity to the public transport users, expressed displeasure over the demolition of various bus stops in Delhi.
The officials claimed the demolition drive has caused public discomfort and has unleashed chaos as the buses halt on the main road for passengers to board and alight in the absence of designated bus stops.
The DTC, which provides transport to more than 31 lakh people every day, is flooded with complaints from public-transport users. Maximum complaints were received from Mayur Vihar Phase II locality as three bus stops were demolished in the area for the expansion of National Highway-24 into the Delhi Meerut Expressway.
“Earlier, there was a bus shelter on the left side of the NH24 near here where we board the bus.
“Now the shelter has been demolished and people are facing inconvenience as they do not know where the bus would halt,” said Utkarsh Sahni, resident of Mayur Vihar.
“The Expressway is a very good initiative and similarly other such projects are a good step. However, these projects are car-centric infrastructure developments. The concern for the public transport user is absent, which is a big worry,” said a high ranking DTC official in the Traffic department on the condition of anonymity.
The bus stops at Punjabi Bagh, Raja Garden, Raj Nagar towards AIIMS and Srinivaspuri, which were relocated for the construction of flyovers, have become particularly problematic stretches for the commuters, observed the officials. The DTC, which has outsourced the construction of bus shelters to the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation, has not constructed any new shelters in the last one year.
Halts, but not at bus stop
Government has unleashed a demolition spree on bus stops to expand the road network
Buses now halt on the main road for passengers to board and alight in the absence of designated bus stops
Delhi Transport Corporation is flooded with complaints from public-transport users
The DTC has not constructed any new shelters in the last one year