Dwarka: Travelling within Dwarka has become a little more convenient for residents. A blue 'smart citi bus' was started by the Delhi government to provide last-mile connectivity to Dwarka residents. The bus was started on a trial basis on May 27, 2022. Since then, it has been showing promising results. It starts at Dwarka sector 14 metro station and goes to sector 21 metro station. CitySpidey took a tour of the bus to get a first-hand experience of this new initiative.
Every morning, the bus starts at 8 am from sector 14 metro station. On the way, it goes through various stops such as IP University, National Law University, and other sectors of Dwarka. It culminates in sector 21.
The interior of the bus is very clean and fully air-conditioned. At a time, it can accommodate up to 15 people. The best thing about the bus is that the whole bus is under CCTV surveillance. 4-5 cameras are installed in its interiors. The space and seating of the bus is very comfortable. Female commuters can travel free and others need to pay Rs 10 to travel.
Rahul Sharma, a resident of Dwarka Sector 14 who was going to sector 21 says, “It has become very convenient for us to reach Dwarka sector 21. That too, at a low price of 10. I had to haggle with auto wallas daily as they charge according to their whims, regardless of the distance."
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Lalit Kumar, a resident of Goyal Dairy gaon says, “ I used to face several problems because I had to change two rickshaws to reach Dwarka sector 21. From there, I take a cab to my office. Paying Rs 80-100 daily for rickshaws was proving very costly. I encountered this bus 3 days back, and have been using it since. It has certainly saved me money and a lot of hassle."
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Sumit Kumar, a resident of Dwarka sector 1 says, “The bus is very comfortable and the bus staff is also very helpful. They stop the bus wherever they see anyone standing roadside and informed the about this bus service. Also, they request everyone who travels on the bus to inform more people about it.”
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Sharwan Kumar, a resident of Dwarka sector 17 says, “Everything is very good but I have one request, right now this bus is running on the backside road of the societies of Dwarka and government needs to change the route so more people come to know about it and use it.”
We witnessed many students who were going to the IP University. Vikram Singh who is working as a conductor on the bus informs, “Students of IP University are among our daily commuters. They are especially very happy with this service. E-Rickshaw wallas and auto drivers charge extra money for taking them to the university.
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Rithika Ghosh, a student of IP University says “It becomes very easy for me to travel daily from Dwarka sector-14 metro station to my university. The rickshaw walla charges extra and for sure they will not be happy with the bus but we all are. The charges are low and every student can easily afford them. Also, it is very regular. The bus can be taken from the university’s main gate every 30 minutes."
Sameera Meena, another student of IP University says, “I’m very happy with the bus service and it’s very safe for girls because of the CCTV surveillance. I want to request the government to start the same service in various other areas in Delhi, Gurugram and Noida."
Vikram further says, “We are getting very positive feedback from Dwarka residents. People are demanding more buses like this in various other areas of Dwarka and Delhi too. More will be added if we continue to get the same response."
We finally talked to Rajat Tyagi, the driver of the bus. He says, "The people who are travelling from Goyla dairy or Pochanpur or other small areas of Dwarka face many problems and some people take a lift from other people to reach metro stations. We came across some people who faced many difficulties and paid almost 100 rs. to reach the metro. And now they are travelling with us for the last six days and loving the ride.”
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He further says, “This bus is very comfortable and easy to drive. It is good for everyone as now the people don’t need to pay an extra charge for small distances. Residents can travel to nearby areas at a low tariff of Rs 10-15. Plus, given the heat, this mini AC bus is the best choice for people. We are getting a very good response and hope that more buses start so maximum people can avail this."
