NCR Surface Transportation Thread

[Abhishek901]

IU's edit: Please use this thread to post all updates, news reports and discussions on public transportation in the National Capital Region. Public transportation includes buses, auto-rikshaws, taxis, rikshaws , LRTS and trams (both proposed).

News related to the Delhi Metro should be posted in the Delhi Metro thread

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To provide better commuting facilities during the Commonwealth
Games next year, the Delhi government on Saturday announced that it would buy an additional 2,500 low-floor buses.

"The transport department has placed an order to purchase 2,500 low-floor buses before the 2010 Commonwealth Games," said chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

Talking about the construction work related to the Games, she said: "The government will construct more flyovers and underpasses well before the games begin to decongest traffic."

Dikshit said that in the past 10 years, over 40 flyovers have been completed in the capital while over two dozen flyovers, road-over bridges and underpasses are under construction.

Times of India

[Abhishek901]

Responding to the Delhi government's proposal, the NCR Planning Board has agreed to step in and provide around Rs 300 crore to revive the project.

OVER two years after the Delhi government decided to revamp its existing Inter-State Bus Terminals and built two more on the city outskirts, the plan to ensure better connectivity for the Capital might finally take off.
Responding to the Delhi government's proposal, the NCR Planning Board has agreed to step in and provide the government around Rs 300 crore to revive the project, which was nearly shelved due to a lack of investors and funds.

"We have asked the NCR Planning Board to step in and they have agreed to consider funding the projects for us. We will soon be making a presentation before them and then discuss the details of funding," said R K Verma, the Transport Principal Secretarycum-Commissioner. He, however, added that no amount has been sanctioned so far.

According to Delhi government officials, the amount sanctioned will first be used to redevelop the ISBTs at Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan and make them functional to capacity. Bus terminals will then be built at Dwarka (Sector 22) and Narela.

The terminals at Dwarka and Narela were to be developed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis through a public-private partnership, but officials said the overall response to the request for quotations (RFQs) that was released in July 2008 had been poor due to the economic downturn.

The Dwarka ISBT will be built for buses coming in from Rajasthan and Haryana; the one at Narela is meant to handle movement of vehicles from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Due to its proximity to the Delhi airport, the proposed terminal at Dwarka was supposed to have a commercial complex, including a hotel for revenue purposes. But with no hoteliers coming forward to express interest, the Delhi Integerated Multi-modal Transit system (DIMTS), a special purpose vehicle created to carry out the redevelopment project, had to consider dropping the plan later.

Verma said the plan for the hotel has been retained in the presentations to be made to the planning board. "We will make presentations on the entire plan and the funding options will be considered by the board," Verma added.

Indian Express

[Abhishek901]

Hindustan Times

[Abhishek901]

Nearly two years after Delhiites were promised a city without "killer'' Bluelines, not much has changed on ground. Despite all the hue and cry about phasing out of the fleet, Blueline buses continue to claim lives on Delhi roads.

Till September 15 this year, the fleet has claimed 82 lives in road accidents, which is only marginally lower than the figure for the corresponding period last year when 89 fatal accidents by Bluelines were reported. The number of Blueline buses, meanwhile, has been shrinking as about 1,000 Bluelines have been put off the road this year. The phased-out Bluelines have been replaced by the new buses of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

Sources said there are just about 2,200 Bluelines plying on city roads at present, as against about 5,500 buses in 2007 when the phasing out begin. But the declining number has not brought much cheer as it seems that the accident rate per bus has only increased with less buses causing almost same number of fatalities.

The condition of the buses has also deteriorated further with broken windows, dented side panels, dirty floors and tattered seats becoming the order of the day again. The long-term solution to the mess corporatization plan for the city's private bus fleet has been put on hold for now by the government.

Transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, however, assured the Blueline phase-out is happening. "Not a single Blueline bus will be seen in Delhi after March next year. We are phasing out Bluelines and to ensure that commuters are not inconvenienced, the process is being synchronized with induction of new DTC buses. The efficiency of DTC is also being improved,'' Lovely told TOI.

Traffic police claimed prosecution has been stepped up and Blueline buses are regularly being prosecuted for road offences. "About 19,092 buses were prosecuted for Supreme Court violations like not driving in bus lanes, not stopping at designated bus stops, and rash driving till June 15 this year compared to just 10,523 for the same time in 2008. There has been a 81% increase in prosecution,'' said a senior traffic police official.

But sources at transport department tell a different story. Though figures are not available at the department, sources said the enforcement against Blueline buses has slackened because of the sentiment that they are anyway on their way out. By the end of this year, about 700 more Bluelines will go off the roads as their permits are going to expire. The transport department is not issuing any fresh permits and the extensions being granted are temporary in nature. But the buses which are plying on the roads are not being checked.

In October 2007, Blueline operators went on a strike to protest against the government's stepped-up enforcement against the buses. Delhi government had to invoke ESMA to get the buses back on the road, after which each Blueline bus had to undergo a compulsory fitness test before it was allowed to ply on the road. To bring down number of accidents, for which one of the main reasons was found to be overspeeding, speed governors fitted in all the buses were checked and the drivers were prosecuted in cases where the device was found to be tampered.

As a long term solution, the government drew up a plan to phase out the Bluelines and replace them with a new set of buses run by corporates. The scheme was such that one entity would run all the buses on a route to eliminate competition. The ticketing revenue will go to the government, which will pay the operator a fixed amount per kilometre. The transport department had come out with a tender for the first cluster, and the lowest bidder was also selected. But the contract was not awarded. Now the plan has been put on hold as the two major bus manufacturers reportedly don't have the capacity to supply more buses than what DTC has ordered.

Times of India

[Abhishek901]

Indian Express


How can a driver issue tickets while driving

[Euromast]

Donot have to, At bus stops everybody who enters the bus from front side will be issued a ticket. Like here in "Videsh"

[Abhishek901]

Originally Posted by Euromast

Donot have to, At bus stops everybody who enters the bus from front side will be issued a ticket. Like here in "Videsh"

But the article says "computerized tickets will be handed by the drivers" (at least during the trial run)

[bhargavsura]

They don't have to handle the tickets when they are driving. Every time the bus stops and when the passengers get into the bus, the driver issues tickets to them and then the bus sets off.

So they are not giving them tickets when "they are driving".

[inus2663]

Is adding a ticket machine feasible at this point? This way, bus drivers don't have to stop and issue everyone tickets.

[Abhishek901]

Originally Posted by inus2663

Is adding a ticket machine feasible at this point? This way, bus drivers don't have to stop and issue everyone tickets.

As of now they might not add a ticket machine but if it becomes successful and is implemented across the city, then they can install ticket machines in the buses or at the bus stops. But vandalism would be an issue.

[Abhishek901]

Hindustan Times

[bhargavsura]

Force it. Implement it. Get Stricter and punish the offenders. That's the only way to go.

[bains1971]

Hep thats the way to go, i second that.

[zenith_suv]

Hindustan Times

[zenith_suv]

DTC buses to have climate control, chargers

More Windows & Seats, Ventilation Shafts To Add To Comfort; 200 Buses Every Month Now

Megha Suri | TNN

New Delhi/Alwar: On Sunday, about 70 more new lowfloor buses will be inducted into the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet. And after this, the corporation will get nearly 200 buses every month till March next year by when about 3,100 new buses would be added to Delhi roads.

The new buses are a part of DTC’s second order, of which some are being manufactured at a Ashok Leyland plant at Alwar. The new models promise a smoother ride as they have added features for passenger comfort like more windows and shafts for ventilation, mobile and laptop charging points, climate control and heating in winters in the AC fleet and more seats.

As the first lot of buses is inducted into the fleet, the apprehension on whether the new buses will be delivered at all before the Games seems to be fading away. The first lot primarily has buses manufactured by Tata Motors, which is a major chunk of the DTC order. But the other manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, is also ready with their supplies. ‘‘Now, one can expect about 200 new buses to come every month. The orders will be completed by March 2010 when the Bharat Stage IV emission norms come into effect. Any delivery after that will have to be modified according to the new standards, which is an added cost for the manufacturer,’’ said a senior official.

A visit to the bus manufacturing facility of Ashok Leyland in Alwar gives an insight into how fast the orders are progressing. The state-ofthe-art plant, which has several buses on the assembly line, is now going to roll out 10 low-floor buses everyday till the order is complete.

This order for 875 buses, including 350 airconditioned ones, were to be supplied to DTC by March this year. But the first lot of 50 buses is ready for rollout from the plant now. ‘‘We have sent the first ready bus to DTC, which has been approved. The formalities for registration and other things are being worked out soon after which the remaining buses will also be delivered,’’ said Rajeev Seharia, executive director (Marketing), Ashok Leyland.

He added that the reason for the delay was that after the tender, DTC made a lot of changes to the bus specifications and manner of execution. ‘‘The entire development was partnered with DTC and there was a learning curve on both sides. As for a penalty for late supply, the matter will
be taken up with DTC at the right time as we are looking at a long association with them now,’’ he added. But now that the first lot is ready, the company is confident of delivering before March 2010. Each of AC buses will cost Rs 59.3 lakh and the non-AC buses Rs 49.9 lakh.

As per the new contract, the buses will be maintained by the companies too and DTC has asked for an assurance of a breakdown rate of maximum 5% at any time. The new buses will have all the features of the existing fleet. The corporation has tried to address failings in the existing 625 buses, where passengers have complained of lack of ventilation and also that the AC is not that effective during peak summer. In the new lot, the windows are larger and even the upper portion opens. Also, extra roof hatchets have been provided on the roof which can be opened for better air circulation.

The AC buses have climate control which will ensure a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius in the bus even when it is very hot. These buses will also have heaters in winters. Passengers can even charge their laptops and cellphones inside the buses. The buses also have stop request buzzers. For added safety, the front windscreen is bigger to ensure better visibility and reflective tapes on the sides of the buses to make them visible even at night.

Ready for Rollout

Total number of buses being procured by Delhi Transport Corporation
3,125

Ashok Leyland will supply

875 buses & Tata Motors

2,250

Till March 2009, Delhi Transport Corporation will get around
200 buses every month How the new bus is different
No of seats increased to 35 Better ventilation through bigger windows and roof hatches

Climate control in AC buses to keep temperature of 25°C Laptop and mobile phone charging points

Breakdown rate of just 5% Display panels on sides of bus indicating final destination
Wider windscreen

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...Mode=HTML&GZ=T

[a_niranjan]

From the above report:

Each of AC buses will cost Rs 59.3 lakh and the non-AC buses Rs 49.9 lakh.

The cost of the buses is different only by 20% -- surely, the fare structure is different by like x2 -- is there substantially more fuel consumption in AC buses?

basically, why bother with non-AC buses at all? let everyone enjoy some thandi hawa.

[bharatiya]

Yes. I think that after a few years, all non A/c buses should be phased out.

[Euromast]

[Abhishek901]

Originally Posted by a_niranjan

From the above report:



The cost of the buses is different only by 20% -- surely, the fare structure is different by like x2 -- is there substantially more fuel consumption in AC buses?

basically, why bother with non-AC buses at all? let everyone enjoy some thandi hawa.

AC buses are 2.5 times more expensive. Everybody cannot afford that. These are not taxis. Buses are supposed to be the cheapest means of transportation for common man.

[Advait]

Originally Posted by a_niranjan

From the above report:



The cost of the buses is different only by 20% -- surely, the fare structure is different by like x2 -- is there substantially more fuel consumption in AC buses?

basically, why bother with non-AC buses at all? let everyone enjoy some thandi hawa.

It is not just the initial higher cost but operating the AC that contributes to keeping the costs higher. Slower the traffic, higher the AC operating costs for the same fare collected.

There are people in the country who switch to bicycle transport whenever there is increase in bus-ticket fares above a certain price even for non-AC buses. It is their numbers among the current passengers which guides the decision to operate AC buses. Still cities like Delhi might be in a better position to operate a 100% AC-buses fleet.