Is Delhi Metro lifeline of Delhi ?

The steep increase in fares of the Delhi Metro has left the lifeline of Delhi bleeding to a slow and untimely death. It is a unique Indian tragedy.

The female voice of Delhi Metro, who announces the stations and instructions in English, is Ms. Rini Simon Khanna. And the male Hindi announcer is Mr. Shammi Narang..

DMRC has ways of taking care of your journey. A lot of metro stations provide bicycles on rent  for as low as Rs 10 for 4 hours with a valid ID proof.

The United Nations have certified the DMRC as the first rail-based system that gets carbon credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The trains are said to be punctual 99.7% of the times, which is one major achievement, keeping in mind, this is India we are talking about. This punctuality is yet another example of DMRC’s methodical and systematic work settings.

The 200 trains of the Delhi Metro network covers a total distance of 69,000 kms every day. That is much more than the earth’s total circumference, which is only 40,075 kms..

veryone today would agree that Delhi Metro is now a lifeline for us Delhiets. If you want to avoid The painfully maddening traffic of Delhi, then metro is the safest and fastest way to commute option

Biggest struggle for me, while traveling on metro, is surviving the stinky armpits of my fellow passengers.

Recently, the Outcome Budget of Delhi stated that Delhi Metro’s target ridership was 30 lakh per day in 2017-18

Then came the Metro - India’s home-grown version of the subway and an audacious feat of engineering born out of an ambitious vision in 1995

Thousands of kilometres of railway track sprouting out as far as you could see and beyond, ferrying millions of daily-wage labourers, fund-starved school and college students and the blue-collar working class - criss-crossing across Delhi

It was Delhi Metro that aided the transformation of places like Shahpur Jat and Hauz Khas Village into hubs bursting with culture; that connected places as far-flung as Shahdara and Dwarka;

the Delhi Metro evolved as the ride of the underclass of the city primarily due to the fare subsidies which were provided by the government.

Mass-transit systems came into being in the late 19th century and at that time were classified as an economic activity in no need of subsidies

most countries around the world, the issue of fare subsidy emerged notably only during the latter half of the 20th century, when the possession and usage of private vehicles increased rapidly and the related costs of public transport evolved adversely.

overnments decided to incentivise the masses to use public transport by offering, in full or partially, fare subsidies.

Currently, world over, mass-transit systems are struggling financially due to poor fiscal management and operationally due to under-investment in capital infrastructure

A report by the Boston Consulting Group states that since its inception, the Delhi Metro has succeeded in reducing the amount of road traffic and congestion in the city.

In 2014, 12 years after the first line was opened, it was estimated that the Delhi Metro had kept 2,30,000 vehicles off the road, resulting in the saving of roughly Rs 104 billion worth of fuel.

Delhi has also reported a lower number in road accidents overall, which is directly correlated with the metro.

The Delhi Police stated that fatal traffic accidents in 2016 amounted to 1548, a reduction of 23 percent when compared to the 2,015 fatal accidents that had occurred in 2008.

the Metro cannot mean a fare hike. That would destroy the very sui-generis of the Metro’s existence — an affordable and comfortable ride for the city’s working class — already evidenced by the continuously reducing ridership numbers.

Metro is also the city’s best answer to the growing urban problem of air pollution and traffic congestion.

Delhi Metro would be fully subjected to market forces and assuming zero market distortions, Adam Smith’s invisible hand of the market would give rise to optimal public transport supply.

Fare Hike(s) would help the DMRC in raising significant amount of capital which can be re-invested in capital and operational assets in order to provide better service.