Today would be Second Metro Day which would be followed up by the Delhi government as part of the austerity measures on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last Monday Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her ministerial colleagues had taken metro ride with a lot of “fanfare” encouraging people to take the train to their places of work and other destinations.
While the reels and videos showed ministers and officials travelling by Metro, they did not reveal how they reached the stations from their residences. The footage included cabinet members using the shuttle service between Indraprastha Metro Station and the Delhi Secretariat, the only fully functional shuttle route in the Metro network.
Metro no wonder is a world class service but what dithers large number of people from using it is the last mile connectivity. The government may agree or not, it’s the wobbling e-rickshaws, the most unsafe mode of transport, which provides the last mile connectivity on the metro network. There was a video of Education Minister Ashish Sood taking the e-rickshaw from Karkardooma Metro station to his place of meeting in East Delhi.
Other than the last mile connectivity, there are issues like unmanaged parking lots, long queues for checking, long distances to be walked on the interchange stations and lastly the Metro services itself getting unpredictable in the extreme weather conditions, also discourage people from taking the Metro and use their ‘trusted’ personal vehicles.
To make the Metro more accessible, a few key reforms are needed. The first is better feeder connectivity. Frequent electric feeder buses around major stations can greatly improve access. They should run on fixed routes connecting nearby residential areas, markets, schools and offices within a 3-5 km radius. The buses should be aligned with Metro timings and operate from early morning till late night.
Second, Delhi needs better multimodal transit hubs. Many Metro stations today are crowded, with autos, e-rickshaws, buses, cars and pedestrians competing for limited space. Signage is poor, footpaths are narrow and pick-up/drop-off areas are often unorganised. Stations should have dedicated bays for feeder buses, autos, taxis and e-rickshaws, along with wider, obstruction-free footpaths.
Third, walking to Metro stations must be safer and easier. Many commuters have to deal with broken footpaths, encroachments, open drains and heavy traffic. Safe crossings, shaded walkways, proper lighting and barrier-free access for persons with disabilities are essential for a commuter-friendly city.
Parking is another major issue. At many Metro stations, parking spaces are limited, poorly managed or expensive. Many commuters choose to drive because they are unsure of getting safe parking near a station. Better parking systems with real-time slot information, digital payments and improved security can make park-and-ride facilities more attractive.
Security procedures too require rethinking. While passenger safety remains paramount, long queues at baggage checks often discourage office-goers during peak hours. Technology-based screening systems, AI-enabled surveillance and differentiated entry mechanisms for regular commuters could reduce delays without compromising security.
Interchange stations present yet another challenge. Many commuters, especially the elderly, avoid certain routes because of the exhausting walking distances involved in changing lines. Stations like Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate and Hauz Khas can become physically draining during rush hours. More travellators, escalators and better crowd management systems are urgently needed.
Another concern is reliability during extreme weather. Delhi’s summers are getting hotter and monsoon rains more severe. Delays, overcrowding and technical issues during bad weather can reduce trust in public transport. Commuters facing frequent disruptions may choose the convenience of private vehicles despite traffic jams.
The Metro’s future expansion must therefore move beyond merely laying new tracks. Delhi does not merely need more Metro lines. It needs a Metro system that begins from the doorstep of the commuter and not from the station gate alone.
Sidharth Mishra
(Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice)