NEW DELHI: Delhiites will soon be able to access reliable public transport within 500 metres of their house and at a frequency of 15 minutes, capital’s transport minister, Kailash Gahlot, claimed on Wednesday. Commuters will also be able to use Delhi Metro smart cards to travel in all Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses by the end of this month.
Gahlot was speaking at the launch of Connect Delhi, an initiative to effectively implement route rationalisation and last mile connectivity in the city. A study will be carried out by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) over a period of about nine months and more than two lakh respondents will be interviewed for it, said DIMTS CEO, M Ramsekhar.
The study will look at rationalisation of bus routes for more efficient services, along with all other modes of transport, including Delhi Metro, metro feeder services, Gramin Sewa, e-rickshaws etc. Gahlot said that the study will ensure all mohallas and villages of Delhi are connected with a reliable public transport facility within walking distance of 500 metres. “There are about 800 bus routes in Delhi but there are still demands for more routes. We hope that through this study, we will be able to provide transport services at a frequency of 15-20 minutes to every person,” Gahlot said. “Unless commuters have a surety of bus availability, they will depend on private transport,” he said.
DTC’s managing director, Manoj Kumar, said that by July 31, all DTC buses will be equipped with Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETM), which will be able to deduct fare from Delhi Metro travel smart cards.
