Transport in Delhi
Encyclopedia
Delhi
has significant reliance on its transport infrastructure. The city has developed a highly efficient public transport system with the introduction of the Delhi Metro, which is undergoing a rapid modernization and expansion. There are 5.5 million registered vehicles in the city, which is the highest in the world among all cities most of which do not follow any pollution emission norm (within municipal limits), while the Delhi metropolitan region (NCR Delhi) has 11.2 million vehicles. Delhi and NCR lose nearly 42 crore (420 million) man-hours every month while commuting between home and office through public transport, due to the traffic congestion. Therefore serious efforts, including a number of transport infrastructure projects, are under way to encourage usage of public transport in the city.
(DTC) bus system was established in May 1948. The next big leap in city transport was the opening of Delhi Metro
, a rapid transit system in 2002.
, the Delhi Transport Corporation
(DTC) bus system, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaw
s and taxis. With the introduction of Delhi Metro, a rail-based mass rapid transit system, rail-based transit systems have gained ground. Other means of transit include suburban railways, inter-state bus services and private taxis which can be rented for various purposes. However, buses continue to be the most popular means of transportation for intra-city travel, they cater to about 60% of the total commuting requirements.
Private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transpor, while the rest of the demand is met largely by auto-rickshaws, taxis, rapid transit system and railways.
Indira Gandhi International Airport
(IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international air connections, and is situated in the south-western corner of the city. In 2005-2006, IGI recorded a traffic of more than 20.44 million passengers. (Both Domestic and International), Heavy air-traffic has stressed on the need for a secondary airport, which is expected to come-up in the form of Taj International Airport near Greater Noida
, alongside Delhi-Agra
highway.
The Delhi government is planning to have 413 km of metro
, 292 km of BRT, and 50 km each of monorail
and light rail
by 2020.
Currently, the only international service to Delhi
is the Samjhauta Express
to Lahore
, while it is possible to change trains to board rail services to Bangladesh
and Nepal
which commence in other cities of India. In the future, a high-speed rail link is being considered that would link New Delhi
with Kunming
, China via Myanmar
(MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council
(NDMC), Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), Public Works Department
(PWD) and Delhi Development Authority
(DDA). At 1749 km of road length per 100 km², Delhi has one of the highest road densities in India. Major roadways include the Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road, which had a traffic density of 110,000 vehicles per day in 2001. Total road length of Delhi was 28,508 km including 388 km of National Highways. Major road-based public transport facilities in Delhi are provided by DTC buses, auto-rickshaw
s, taxi
s and cycle-rickshaws.
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) operates the world's largest fleet of CNG-powered buses. After Pune
, Delhi was the second city in India to have an operational Bus rapid transit (BRT)
system.
]
Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are the most popular means of transport catering to about 60% of Delhi's total demand. Buses are operated by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which owns largest fleet of Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG)-fueled buses in the world, private Blueline bus operators and several chartered bus operators. It is mandatory for all private bus operators to acquire a permit from the State Transport Authority. The buses traverse various well-defined intra-city routes. Other than regular routes, buses also travel on Railway Special routes; Metro Feeder routes. Mudrika (Ring) and Bahri Mudrika (Outer Ring) routes along Ring and Outer-Ring road respectively are amongst the longest intra-city bus routes in the world.
With the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) and the development of dedicated corridors for the service, bus service is set to improve. The DTC has started introducing air-conditioned buses and brand new low-floor buses (with floor height of 400 mm and even higher on one third area as against 230 mm available internationally.) on city streets to replace the conventional buses. A revamp plan is underway to improve bus-shelters in the city and to integrate GPS systems in DTC buses and bus stops so as to provide reliable information about bus arrivals.
In 2007, after public uproar concerning the large number of accidents caused by privately-owned Blueline buses, the Delhi government, under pressure from the Delhi High Court
decided that all Blueline Buses shall be phased out and be eventually replaced by low floor buses of the state-owned DTC. The Delhi Government has decided to expedite this process and will procure 6,600 low floor buses for the DTC by commonwealth games next year.
By 2010, Delhi will have over 8000 buses, of which Delhi Transport Corporation
will provide 6000 while 2,000 would be blueline buses, 3125 will be low-floor ,1100 semi low floor and 1000 of them would be air-conditioned. Few buses would have GPS to prevent them from straying to other routes. The city already has 655 low-floor AC and non-AC buses. The bus routes are also being increased to 670 from the current 357 routes. Delhi plans to add at least 2500 of these new buses by the end of 2009. The city has been divided into 17 clusters. Bus services in each of these clusters will be run by private operators. The first cluster is to be awarded by September 2008. The first cluster has 32 routes, on which a total of 295 DTC and 270 private buses will run. The operators will be given the option of running 20 percent AC buses With the introduction of new buses, DTC will be recruiting 4000 drivers to run the new buses.
In November 2009, DTC piloted a program to introduce the smart card where the commuters would be able to pay the fare through the smart card. They have decided to install the machines in 10000 buses.
Though easily available, taxis are not an integral part of Delhi public transport. The Indian Tourism Ministry and various private owners operate most taxis. The Tourism Ministry grants private companies permits to operate taxis. Recently, Radio Taxis have started to gain ground in Delhi. Brands such as Mega Cabs, Kreative Travel India, EasyCabs, etc., provide the on-call radio taxi service, which is slightly more expensive than conventional Black and Yellow taxis. Other than these two mentioned, companies such as Hertz Car Rental and Avis Car Rental provide rent-a-car service.
because of their slow pace, which often leads to traffic snarls on the streets of Old Delhi
. Still, they are the great source of public transport in Delhi.
Inner Ring Road is one of the most important "state highways" in Delhi. It is a 51 km long circular road, which connects important areas in Delhi. Owing to more than 2 dozen grade-separators/flyovers, the road is almost signal-free. The road is generally 8-laned with a few bottlenecks at certain stretches, which are being removed. The road has already achieved its carrying capacity of 110000 vehicles per day and would require an addition of more lanes to fulfill needs of increasing traffic by 2011.
Outer Ring Road is another major artery in Delhi. The road which was almost neglected till early 2000s is now an important highway that links far-flung areas of Delhi. The road is 6-8 lane and has grade-separators and a large number are under construction as a part of project to make the artery signal free. The road along with the ring road forms a ring which intersects all the National Highways passing through Delhi.
Delhi is connected by NH 1,2,8 and 24. It also has 3 expressways (6 and 8 lane) that connect it with its suburbs. 4 more expressways are also planned and are supposed to be finished by 2010. Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway
connects Delhi with one of its financial hubs, Gurgaon
. DND Flyway
connects Delhi with its other financial hub, Noida
.
Noida-Greater Noida Highway connects Noida with Greater Noida, which is an upcoming financial and commercial hub and is also to have a new international airport. The construction work for 135.6-km long Delhi Western Peripheral Expressway also known as the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway(KMP)
is going on at full swing.[1]Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway expected to become operational by June 2009, Delhi will be relieved of the congestion of heavy night traffic. It will act as a bypass for the night vehicles. Ghazibad - Faridabad - Gurgaon Expressway is a bypass corridor for traffic coming from South West and going towards East. It is currently under construction. Faridabad Road is a 4 lane highway road which connects Faridabad
, major suburb to Delhi. Upgradation to expressway is underway.
Ghaziabad Road is a 4 lane highway road which connects Ghaziabad to Delhi. As the Commonwealth Village is located close by Yamuna bridge on this highway, underpasses and flyover being built will help facilitate traffic between the eastern areas of Delhi/Western UP and the rest of the city. If the underpass, flyovers and bridges are constructed in time they might be extended to Ghaziabad.
Rapid increase of population coupled with large-scale immigration due to high economic growth has resulted in ever increasing demand for better transport, putting excessive pressure on the city's existent transport infrastructure. Like many other cities in the developing world, the city faces acute transport management problems leading to air pollution, congestion and resultant loss of productivity. In order to meet the transportation demand in Delhi, the State and Union government started the construction of an ambitious Mass Rapid Transit system, known as http://www.delhimetrorail.com Delhi Metro in 1998. The project started commercial operations on December 24, 2002. It has set many performance and efficiency standards ever since and is continuously expanding at a very rapid pace. As of 2010, the metro operates 5 lines with a total length of 190 km and 132 stations while several other lines are under construction.
Description of three Delhi Metro lines that currently operate as of April, 2010:
Violet line is also operational- from Badarpur to Central Secretariat
The second phase (Phase II) which is under construction has 128 km of route length and the completion is scheduled for September 2010 just before the CWG
Phases III (112 km) and IV (108.5 km) will be completed by 2015 and 2020 respectively, with the network totalling 413.8 km, making it longer than the London Underground
. With further development of the city, the network will be further expanded by adding new lines, thus crossing 500 km by 2020.
vast network. New Delhi Railway Station
which is one of the most busiest stations in Indian Railway system serves as headquarter of Northern Railways
. A large load of inter-state transport is borne by railways. Major railway stations in the city include New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Sarai Rohilla
and Anand Vihar Railway Terminal
. A large number of local passenger trains connect Delhi to its sub-urban areas and thus provide convenient travel for daily commuters. Railways also share a large amount of freight traffic in Delhi.
It operates two terminals — Terminal 1 for domestic and Terminal 2 for international air travel.
The airport is witnessing massive expansion and modernisation by a consortium led by GMR. The airport will get a new integrated Terminal 3 by 2010. Terminals 4, 5 and 6 will be built in a phased manner. By 2024, airport will have four runways and will handle more than 100 million passengers per year, which is more than what Atlanta airport (world's busiest airport) handles now.
Apart from the expanded IGI airport, Delhi might also receive a second airport by 2012-2013. The airport, being named as Taj International Aviation Hub, is proposed be located in Jewar
in Greater Noida. It would be 75 km from IGI airport.
. They are listed below -
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
has significant reliance on its transport infrastructure. The city has developed a highly efficient public transport system with the introduction of the Delhi Metro, which is undergoing a rapid modernization and expansion. There are 5.5 million registered vehicles in the city, which is the highest in the world among all cities most of which do not follow any pollution emission norm (within municipal limits), while the Delhi metropolitan region (NCR Delhi) has 11.2 million vehicles. Delhi and NCR lose nearly 42 crore (420 million) man-hours every month while commuting between home and office through public transport, due to the traffic congestion. Therefore serious efforts, including a number of transport infrastructure projects, are under way to encourage usage of public transport in the city.
History
Prior to independence in 1930s, public transport in the city was in private hands, with people relying mainly on tongas and the bus services of the ‘Gwalior Transport Company’ and ‘Northern India Transport Company’. But with the growing city, it soon proved inadequate, thus Delhi Transport CorporationDelhi Transport Corporation
Delhi Transport Corporation is the main public transport operator of Delhi. It operates buses on many bus routes, including the mudrika and Bahri Mudrika . It is the largest CNG-powered bus service operator in the world. DTC is operating Interstate Services in 6 states viz...
(DTC) bus system was established in May 1948. The next big leap in city transport was the opening of Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
, a rapid transit system in 2002.
Overview
Public transport in the metropolis includes the Delhi MetroDelhi Metro
Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
, the Delhi Transport Corporation
Delhi Transport Corporation
Delhi Transport Corporation is the main public transport operator of Delhi. It operates buses on many bus routes, including the mudrika and Bahri Mudrika . It is the largest CNG-powered bus service operator in the world. DTC is operating Interstate Services in 6 states viz...
(DTC) bus system, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaw
Cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport; it is also known by a variety of other names such as velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, becak, trisikad, or trishaw or, simply, rickshaw which also refers to auto rickshaws, and the, now uncommon, rickshaws pulled by a person on foot...
s and taxis. With the introduction of Delhi Metro, a rail-based mass rapid transit system, rail-based transit systems have gained ground. Other means of transit include suburban railways, inter-state bus services and private taxis which can be rented for various purposes. However, buses continue to be the most popular means of transportation for intra-city travel, they cater to about 60% of the total commuting requirements.
Private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transpor, while the rest of the demand is met largely by auto-rickshaws, taxis, rapid transit system and railways.
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
(IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international air connections, and is situated in the south-western corner of the city. In 2005-2006, IGI recorded a traffic of more than 20.44 million passengers. (Both Domestic and International), Heavy air-traffic has stressed on the need for a secondary airport, which is expected to come-up in the form of Taj International Airport near Greater Noida
Greater Noida
Greater Noida is located in the Gautam Budh Nagar district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It is under the purview of the National Capital Region of India...
, alongside Delhi-Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
highway.
The Delhi government is planning to have 413 km of metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, 292 km of BRT, and 50 km each of monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
and light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
by 2020.
Currently, the only international service to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
is the Samjhauta Express
Samjhauta Express
The Samjhauta Express commonly called the Friendship Express, is a twice-weekly train Tuesdays and Fridays that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The word samjhauta means "Understanding","accord" and "compromise" in both Hindi and Urdu.Until the reopening of the Thar...
to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, while it is possible to change trains to board rail services to Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
which commence in other cities of India. In the future, a high-speed rail link is being considered that would link New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
with Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, China via Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
Road transport
Transportation dependent upon roads. Railways, including rapid transit systems like Delhi Metro. Roads in Delhi are maintained by Municipal Corporation of DelhiMunicipal Corporation of Delhi
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is a municipal corporation, an autonomous body that governs 9 Districts of Delhi, in the state of Delhi, India. It is one of three municipal corporations in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the others being New Delhi Municipal Council, and Delhi...
(MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council
New Delhi Municipal Council
New Delhi Municipal Council is the municipal corporation of the city of New Delhi, India, and the area under its administration is referred to as the NDMC area. NDMC, covering an area of 43.7 km2, is governed by a council with a chairperson appointed by the central government and includes the...
(NDMC), Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), Public Works Department
Public Works Department
Many governments worldwide have had departments or ministries referred to as the Public Works Department either formally or informally.In Australia: -New South Wales -*Office of Public Works and Services, New South Wales...
(PWD) and Delhi Development Authority
Delhi Development Authority
The Delhi Development Authority was created in 1955 under the provisions of the Delhi Development Act "to promote and secure the development of Delhi".-History:...
(DDA). At 1749 km of road length per 100 km², Delhi has one of the highest road densities in India. Major roadways include the Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road, which had a traffic density of 110,000 vehicles per day in 2001. Total road length of Delhi was 28,508 km including 388 km of National Highways. Major road-based public transport facilities in Delhi are provided by DTC buses, auto-rickshaw
Auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...
s, taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s and cycle-rickshaws.
Buses
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Delhi was the second city in India to have an operational Bus rapid transit (BRT)
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
system.
]
Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are the most popular means of transport catering to about 60% of Delhi's total demand. Buses are operated by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which owns largest fleet of Compressed Natural Gas
Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
(CNG)-fueled buses in the world, private Blueline bus operators and several chartered bus operators. It is mandatory for all private bus operators to acquire a permit from the State Transport Authority. The buses traverse various well-defined intra-city routes. Other than regular routes, buses also travel on Railway Special routes; Metro Feeder routes. Mudrika (Ring) and Bahri Mudrika (Outer Ring) routes along Ring and Outer-Ring road respectively are amongst the longest intra-city bus routes in the world.
With the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) and the development of dedicated corridors for the service, bus service is set to improve. The DTC has started introducing air-conditioned buses and brand new low-floor buses (with floor height of 400 mm and even higher on one third area as against 230 mm available internationally.) on city streets to replace the conventional buses. A revamp plan is underway to improve bus-shelters in the city and to integrate GPS systems in DTC buses and bus stops so as to provide reliable information about bus arrivals.
In 2007, after public uproar concerning the large number of accidents caused by privately-owned Blueline buses, the Delhi government, under pressure from the Delhi High Court
Delhi High Court
The High Court of Delhi was established on 31 October 1966. The High Court of Delhi was established with four judges. They were Chief Justice K. S. Hegde, Justice I. D. Dua, Justice H. R. Khanna and Justice S. K. Kapur.-History:...
decided that all Blueline Buses shall be phased out and be eventually replaced by low floor buses of the state-owned DTC. The Delhi Government has decided to expedite this process and will procure 6,600 low floor buses for the DTC by commonwealth games next year.
By 2010, Delhi will have over 8000 buses, of which Delhi Transport Corporation
DTC
-Companies and organizations:*Defence Technology Centre*Delaware Theatre Company*Delhi Transport Corporation , the transportation backbone of Delhi*Denver Technological Center, a business park located on I-25 in Denver and Greenwood Village, Colorado...
will provide 6000 while 2,000 would be blueline buses, 3125 will be low-floor ,1100 semi low floor and 1000 of them would be air-conditioned. Few buses would have GPS to prevent them from straying to other routes. The city already has 655 low-floor AC and non-AC buses. The bus routes are also being increased to 670 from the current 357 routes. Delhi plans to add at least 2500 of these new buses by the end of 2009. The city has been divided into 17 clusters. Bus services in each of these clusters will be run by private operators. The first cluster is to be awarded by September 2008. The first cluster has 32 routes, on which a total of 295 DTC and 270 private buses will run. The operators will be given the option of running 20 percent AC buses With the introduction of new buses, DTC will be recruiting 4000 drivers to run the new buses.
In November 2009, DTC piloted a program to introduce the smart card where the commuters would be able to pay the fare through the smart card. They have decided to install the machines in 10000 buses.
Auto-Rickshaws
The auto-rickshaws (popularly known as Auto) are an important and popular means of public transportation in Delhi, as they are cheaper than taxis. Hiring an Auto in Delhi is very tricky, as very few auto-drivers agree to standard meter charges. The typical method is to haggle for an agreeable rate. This is often a source of conflict for both Indians and visitors. Drivers tend to overcharge and make exorbitant demands. But there are a few that are nice. It is recommended to tip the good ones extra.Taxis
Taxi and Auto Fare Calculator
One can use a service at http://www.taxiautofare.com to calculate the Taxi And Auto fares in Delhi. The user has to enter in the source and destination. The service gives the estimated taxi and auto fare as well as a Google Map that shows the route.Cycle-Rickshaws
Cycle-Rickshaws are a popular mode of travel for short distance transits in the city. The pedal-powered rickshaws are easily available throughout the city and reckoned for being cheap and environment friendly. Often, tourists and citizens use them for joyrides, too. Of late, they have been phased out from the congested areas of Chandni ChowkChandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...
because of their slow pace, which often leads to traffic snarls on the streets of Old Delhi
Old Delhi
Old Delhi , walled city of Delhi, India, was founded as Shahjahanabad by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty....
. Still, they are the great source of public transport in Delhi.
Major Arteries
Inner Ring Road
Inner Ring Road is one of the most important "state highways" in Delhi. It is a 51 km long circular road, which connects important areas in Delhi. Owing to more than 2 dozen grade-separators/flyovers, the road is almost signal-free. The road is generally 8-laned with a few bottlenecks at certain stretches, which are being removed. The road has already achieved its carrying capacity of 110000 vehicles per day and would require an addition of more lanes to fulfill needs of increasing traffic by 2011.
Outer Ring Road
Outer Ring Road is another major artery in Delhi. The road which was almost neglected till early 2000s is now an important highway that links far-flung areas of Delhi. The road is 6-8 lane and has grade-separators and a large number are under construction as a part of project to make the artery signal free. The road along with the ring road forms a ring which intersects all the National Highways passing through Delhi.
Expressways and Highways
Delhi is connected by NH 1,2,8 and 24. It also has 3 expressways (6 and 8 lane) that connect it with its suburbs. 4 more expressways are also planned and are supposed to be finished by 2010. Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway
Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway
Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway is a long access-controlled toll expressway connecting Delhi, the national capital of India, and Gurgaon, an important satellite city of Haryana....
connects Delhi with one of its financial hubs, Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
. DND Flyway
DND Flyway
DND Flyway is an eight-laned access controlled tolled expressway which connects Delhi to Noida, an industrial suburb area. It was built and is maintained by The Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd. The acronym DND stands for "Delhi-Noida Direct".-Construction:The project, built by the Noida Toll Bridge...
connects Delhi with its other financial hub, Noida
Noida
Noida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...
.
Noida-Greater Noida Highway connects Noida with Greater Noida, which is an upcoming financial and commercial hub and is also to have a new international airport. The construction work for 135.6-km long Delhi Western Peripheral Expressway also known as the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway(KMP)
Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway(KMP)
Delhi Western Peripheral Expressway, or Kundli-Manesar-Palwal , is 135.6 km long Expressway being constructed in Haryana, India. It was planned to become operational by June 2009. but will not be ready even partially before 2012...
is going on at full swing.[1]Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway expected to become operational by June 2009, Delhi will be relieved of the congestion of heavy night traffic. It will act as a bypass for the night vehicles. Ghazibad - Faridabad - Gurgaon Expressway is a bypass corridor for traffic coming from South West and going towards East. It is currently under construction. Faridabad Road is a 4 lane highway road which connects Faridabad
Faridabad
Faridabad is a city in the south-east of Haryana state in northern India, in Faridabad district. It lies at 28º 25' 16" N Latitude and 77º 18' 28" E Longitude. The district shares its boundaries with the National Capital and Union Territory of Delhi to its north, Gurgaon district to the west and...
, major suburb to Delhi. Upgradation to expressway is underway.
Ghaziabad Road is a 4 lane highway road which connects Ghaziabad to Delhi. As the Commonwealth Village is located close by Yamuna bridge on this highway, underpasses and flyover being built will help facilitate traffic between the eastern areas of Delhi/Western UP and the rest of the city. If the underpass, flyovers and bridges are constructed in time they might be extended to Ghaziabad.
Rail transport
Rail based transport in the city has started to gain-popularity with the introduction of Delhi Metro. Ring-Railway, which runs parallel to the Ring-Road system is another rail-based intra-city transport facility in Delhi.Metro
]Description of three Delhi Metro lines that currently operate as of April, 2010:
| Name | Number | Terminals | Length (km) | Stations | Rolling stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 1 | Dilshad Garden Dilshad Garden Dilshad Garden also known as DG by its residents is a large housing colony situated in East Delhi that was primarily developed by Delhi Development Authority . A nearby colony named Dilshad Colony is sometimes confused to be its part... – Rithala |
25.09 | 21 | 23 trains |
| Yellow | 2 | Jahangirpuri – HUDA City Centre HUDA City Centre (Delhi Metro) The HUDA City Centre is a terminal station on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro. It is an elevated station and is located in Gurgaon in the National Capital Region of India. The station was inaugurated on June 21, 2010 as part of the Qutub Minar—HUDA City Centre corridor.... |
45 | 34 | 40 trains |
| Blue | 3 | Noida City Centre – Yamuna Bank – Dwarka Sector 9 | 47.40 | 42 | 43 trains |
| 4 | Yamuna Bank – Anand Vihar Anand Vihar Railway Terminal Anand Vihar Railway Terminal , station code ANVT, is a large railway station in the Anand Vihar locality of Delhi, India... |
6.25 | 5 | 4 trains | |
| Green | 5 | Inderlok – Mundka Mundka Mundka is a census town in North West district in the Indian state of Delhi.-Demographics: India census, Mundka had a population of 43,898. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Mundka has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is... |
15.15 | 14 | 13 trains |
Violet line is also operational- from Badarpur to Central Secretariat
The second phase (Phase II) which is under construction has 128 km of route length and the completion is scheduled for September 2010 just before the CWG
Phases III (112 km) and IV (108.5 km) will be completed by 2015 and 2020 respectively, with the network totalling 413.8 km, making it longer than the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. With further development of the city, the network will be further expanded by adding new lines, thus crossing 500 km by 2020.
Ring Railway
Ring railway is a circular rail network in Delhi, which runs parallel to the Ring Road and was conceived during the Asian Games of 1982. The system is not popular amongst people and a total failure as far as public transport is considered. The major reasons for failure of the system are lack of proper connectivity, less population density in areas of reach. The network is now utilized as a freight corridor and limited passenger train services are available during peak hours.Railway connectivity
Delhi is connected to whole of the nation through Indian RailwaysIndian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
vast network. New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi Railway Station
The New Delhi Railway Station , station code NDLS, situated between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi railway station is the second busiest and one of the largest in India. It handles over 300 trains each day with 16 platforms and about 360,000 passengers...
which is one of the most busiest stations in Indian Railway system serves as headquarter of Northern Railways
Northern Railway (India)
The Northern Railways is one of the 16 zones and the northernmost zone of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is in Delhi at New Delhi Railway Station....
. A large load of inter-state transport is borne by railways. Major railway stations in the city include New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Sarai Rohilla
Sarai Rohilla
Sarai Rohilla , station code DEE, is a railway station in Delhi, India. This station is meant for metre gauge trains and the station is small when compared to other main stations in Delhi namely, New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Anand Vihar and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations...
and Anand Vihar Railway Terminal
Anand Vihar Railway Terminal
Anand Vihar Railway Terminal , station code ANVT, is a large railway station in the Anand Vihar locality of Delhi, India...
. A large number of local passenger trains connect Delhi to its sub-urban areas and thus provide convenient travel for daily commuters. Railways also share a large amount of freight traffic in Delhi.
Highways
The city is believed to have highest road density in the country and is well connected to rest of the nation through five major national highways, namely NH 1, NH 2, NH 8, NH 10 and NH 24. The highways around city are being upgraded into expressways with ultra-modern facilities.Bus services
Regular bus services are available from inter-state bus terminals in the city. The services are extended to all the northern states and the neighbouring areas of Delhi. Services are provided by state transport corporations and several private operators. The inter-state terminals in city are:- Kashmiri GateKashmiri GateThe Kashmiri Gate is one of the thirteen gates of Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.It is so named because it faces the direction of Kashmir. Inside there is a shopping area and market that is called "Kashmiri Bazaar" and a girls' college. This college, built upon an old haveli...
ISBT in Northern Delhi - Anand Vihar ISBT in Trans-Yamuna area
- Sarai Kale KhanSarai Kale KhanSarai Kale Khan is a historic locality and a Gujjar village of Basista / Bosatta Gotra , migrated from Khanpur village situated in South Delhi in 16th - 17th Century . During past, it was known as Moocho waali Sarai because every male have had long moustaches, which was a symbol of manliness...
ISBT in South Delhi
Airports
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international connections, and is situated in the southwestern corner of the city, alongside Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. In the year 2006-2007, IGI recorded a traffic of 20.44 million passengers. It is currently the busiest airport in South Asia.It operates two terminals — Terminal 1 for domestic and Terminal 2 for international air travel.
The airport is witnessing massive expansion and modernisation by a consortium led by GMR. The airport will get a new integrated Terminal 3 by 2010. Terminals 4, 5 and 6 will be built in a phased manner. By 2024, airport will have four runways and will handle more than 100 million passengers per year, which is more than what Atlanta airport (world's busiest airport) handles now.
Apart from the expanded IGI airport, Delhi might also receive a second airport by 2012-2013. The airport, being named as Taj International Aviation Hub, is proposed be located in Jewar
Jewar
Jewar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Gautam Buddha Nagar District in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Location:It is located in the suburbs of Greater Noida and is about 60 km. from Noida. Jewar is situated on the northeast bank of the Yamuna River...
in Greater Noida. It would be 75 km from IGI airport.
Future projects
There are many transport infrastructure projects underway in Delhi. Most have their deadlines set in late 2009 and early 2010, just before the 2010 Commonwealth Games2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
. They are listed below -
Road
- Bus Rapid Transit corridors
- Taxi systems
- Revamp of DTC bus fleet, to include semi-low-floor, low-floor and air-conditioned buses.
- Development of Eastern and Western Peripheral Highways to take off the load of inter-state traffic from roads of Delhi.
Rail
- Upgrading of New Delhi and Old Delhi railway stations of Northern Railways.
- Expansion of existing Delhi Metro network, including a super-fast Delhi Airport Express Line having maximum speed of 135 km/h line to connect to IGI Airport.
- Introduction of Monorail (45 km) and Light Rail Transit has been aborted till 2010
- Anand Vihar Railway Terminal (about to be completed) to reduce the train loads over Old Delhi Station and New Delhi Railway Station. Besides that the station will also serve the densely populated Eastern part of Delhi, along with the neighbouring suburbs of Ghaziabad and Noida.
- A high-speed rail link that would link New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
with KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, China via MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
Air
- Revamp of IGI Airport is underway to improve its infrastructure, passenger capacity and efficiency.
- A secondary airport is in planning stages and will come up near Greater Noida.
Delhi Traffic Police transport helpline
Owing to a large amount of complaints from consumers, the Delhi Government in association with Delhi Traffic Police runs a manned transport helpline which can be reached at 011-23010101 while dialing from within the city. Citizens can make traffic related complaints and suggestions. One can also report traffic violations observed and misbehavior/refusal/overcharging by autorickshaws, buses and taxis.See also
- Transport in IndiaTransport in IndiaTransport in the Republic of India is an important part of the nation's economy. Since the economic liberalisation of the 1990s, development of infrastructure within the country has progressed at a rapid pace, and today there is a wide variety of modes of transport by land, water and air...
- Bus rapid transitBus rapid transitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) - Clean development mechanismClean Development MechanismThe Clean Development Mechanism is one of the "flexibility" mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol . It is defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, and is intended to meet two objectives: to assist parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the...
- Delhi MetroDelhi MetroDelhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
- Delhi Transport CorporationDelhi Transport CorporationDelhi Transport Corporation is the main public transport operator of Delhi. It operates buses on many bus routes, including the mudrika and Bahri Mudrika . It is the largest CNG-powered bus service operator in the world. DTC is operating Interstate Services in 6 states viz...
- Highways passing from DelhiHighways passing from DelhiDelhi, a major metropolitan region of India, is connected to various parts of country through several national highways. Most of the highways from Delhi lead to Haryana or Uttar Pradesh and continue from there...