Thursday, November 18, 2010

Riding on the Delhi Metro

I really want to compliment E Sreedharan and the Delhi Metro team for building this wonderful metro network in this city. The metro is clean, efficient, safe and quick. Spitting attracts a Rs 200 fine (YAY!!!).
In keeping with Indian traditions, the metro now has a separate ladies wagon in order to protect the local beauties from the hordes of desperate men.

A few nights ago, as I was about to board a train from Rajiv Chowk, I noticed something really unusual. There was a security guard making people queue up and making sure that people were allowed to alight from the train first. This is India, after all, and I guess such measures are required. Who knows? The novel concept of queuing may just spread in this city of rough hooligans from Bihar and Haryana.

There is one big difference between travelling first class or even second class on the Bombay local and travelling on the Delhi metro: The stink! Bombayites taking the local trains have much better habits when it comes to hygiene. I can’t imagine what it takes to stink as much as some of these people that take the Delhi Metro.

Some of the lines are already handling way more than capacity: a fact attributed to the fact that many were forced to use the metro during the Commonwealth Games and started seeing the merits in avoiding traffic jams. I am quite sure that increasing the frequency of the trains isn’t going to help much.

Being a public transport New York-Bombay guy, I am impressed and will continue to ride this wonderful metro in Delhi.

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