NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on Tuesday pitched for bringing "greater synergy" in operations of the DMRC and DTC, saying with the expansion of mass rapid transit network, this is needed to promote use of public transport and provide more ease to commuters.
Addressing an event at Metro Bhawan here to mark the 28th foundation day of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), he also stressed that full implementation of common mobility card across the network was essential in achieving that synergy.
Kumar, who recently took charge as the new chief secretary of Delhi, said that several years ago, he had suggested to the city government to "integrate Delhi Metro and DTC" but somehow that has not been considered.
"If we cannot integrate the two, we can surely bring in greater synergy in operations of the metro and the buses, and synergy in scheduling services. With the advancement in technology, use of public transport has to be enhanced," he said.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi, in his address, described DMRC as an "island of excellence in Delhi", and also emphasised on the need for working in synergy.
"Earlier there was a vacuum and one could operate that way, but now if we work separately and not in an integrated way, then everyone will suffer loss, and we won’t be able to leverage the benefit of synergy," he said.
There is need for a greater integration among the networks of metro, Indian Railways, and the new Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) that is coming up, to provide greater ease to commuters, he said, adding, the recently-inaugurated foot-over-bridge connecting New Delhi metro station with New Delhi railway station was a welcome step.
"Entering a railway station is quite a challenge, and entering particularly the Delhi Cantonment railway station is quite an experience," the MoHUA secretary said.
Have back-up power arrangements: Metro officials
NEW DELHI: Amid apprehensions of power supply disruptions in Delhi, the DMRC on Tuesday said Metro's operational need accounts for only 2.5 per cent of the total power requirement of the city, and even if there is a total breakdown, passengers can be evacuated from trains and stations using back-up arrangements.
A DMRC spokesperson, interacting with reporters on the sidelines of its 28th Foundation Day on Tuesday, also said the mass rapid transit system's operations in Delhi-NCR require around three million units of power per day.
Amid a deepening coal shortage crisis, the Delhi government on Thursday had warned that there may be problem in providing uninterrupted supply to important establishments including Metro and hospitals.