| Getting Around |
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New Delhi is a large city and there are many options for getting around. The choices can be broken down into public and private transportation.
 The main options for public transportation include the new metro system, busses, and taxis. Rickshaws are interesting alternatives to these.
Metro
Delhi Metro is the latest addition in Delhi Transport System that was inaugurated on 24th December 2002. Operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), Delhi Metro is the second rapid transit system in India, first been in Kolkata. Getting around Delhi by Delhi Metro is both comfortable and time saving. Get acquainted with the Automatic Fare Collection System that has been introduced for the first time in India by Delhi Metro. Pocket friendly, Delhi Metro fares ranges from Rupees 6 to 14. Delhi Metro operates on a stretch from 6.00 AM in the morning till 10.00 PM. At the maximum you need to wait for 6 to 8 minutes and you will see a metro arriving at any of the connected stations. It is fast, efficient, fairly priced and environmentally friendly. Red Line(Line 1): Shahdara - Rithala Line 1 connects Shahdara with Rithala and covers a distance of 22 kms within 38 minutes. Every 6 minutes a metro comes on this line and Shahdara, Welcome, Seelampur, Shastri Park, Kashmere Gate,Tis Hazari, Pul Bangash, Pratap Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Inder Lok, Kanhaya Nagar, Keshav Puram, Netaji Subhash Place, Kohat Enclave, Pitampura, Rohini East, Rohini West and Rithala are the stations connected by Delhi Metro Line 1.
Yellow Line(Line 2): Vishwa Vidyalaya - Central Secretariat Line 2 connects Vishwa Vidyalaya with Central Secretariat. It was inaugurated on 24th December 2004 and covers stations like Vishwa Vidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha, Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Delhi Main, Chawri Bazar, New Delhi, Connaught Place, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat.
Blue line(Line 3): Indraprastha - Barakhamba Road - Dwarka Connecting Indraprastha to Barakhamba Road and Dwarka is the Line 3 of Delhi Metro. Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, R.K. Ashram Marg, Jhandewalan, Karol Bagh, Rajendra Place, Patel Nagar, Shadipur, Kirti Nagar, Moti Nagar, Ramesh Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Subhash Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Janakpuri, Uttam Nagar, Prem Nagar, Om Vihar, Dwarka Mor, Dwarka and Dwarka Sub City are the stations connected by Line 3 of Delhi Metro.
Indraprastha to NOIDA City Centre:This stretch of Delhi Metro was inaugurated on 13th November 2009 and was thrown open to public on 14th November 2009. There are 10 stations on this 13.1km stretch, out of which four stations are in Delhi and six stations are in Noida. The ten stations on this Metro line are: Akshardham, Mayur Vihar-1, Mayur Vihar Extn, New Ashok Ngr, Noida Sec 15, Sec 16, Sec 18, Botanical Garden, Golf Course and Noida City Centre (Sector 32). Extension in nearby cities of Ghaziabad and Gurgaon are also planned.
Bus
Buses are plentiful and cheap, these are the cheapest and the most popular means of public transport. The Green line service run by the State owned Delhi Transport Corpo 5-15 for a single ticket. There is a night service available but very skeletal and covers the route to and from railway stations only.
There are two kinds of buses in Delhi: - Government run DTC buses
- Privately run Blue-Line buses
If you have a choice, go for a DTC bus. They will stop less frequently and will generally be less crowded too. Note that many buses, DTC ones too, will stop pretty much anywhere if there are enough people getting on or off.
Board buses at the back and pay the ticket seller sitting right next to the door. Be sure to hang onto your tickets, as ticket checks are fairly frequent. Some seats on the left side of the bus may be reserved for women and the handicapped. When it's time to disembark, move to the front of the bus and hop out from the door near the driver. As you might expect, all these guidelines are regularly ignored when buses are very crowded.
Taxis
Taxis can be hailed through your hotel or from the nearby stand. They do not ply on the roads soliciting customers like how auto drivers do. The most popular option these days is to “Dial a Taxi”. The black and yellow or yellow and green colored taxis, (usually Ambassador, Maruti vans or diesel indicas) charge customers by the meter. The drivers also have a tariff chart for your reference and theirs. 'Radio taxis' have also been introduced offering 24-hour air-conditioned service. Cycle rickshaw
Cycle rickshaw are useful for plying short distances only, cycle rickshaws numbering three lakh in all are however not available in all localities. For instance- you will find them at Nizamuddin railway station and you will find them handy to reach the main road from where you can take an auto or taxi or catch a bus. Autorickshaws
Autorickshaws are much cheaper than the taxis; these black and yellow three wheeled vehicles are allowed to carry up to three passengers. Negotiate a fare before you set out. Auto-rickshaws are generally faster than taxis on short trips and cost half the price. |
