80. Travelling in Delhi!!

Travelling in Delhi always brings in memories of people hanging out from DTC and other private buses, when I used to live in Delhi some 19 years ago!!  And in every red light, the hanging crowd will get down from the bus, do some finger exercises to get the blood flow through them again and then re-board the bus just before the light turned green😊. I myself have made countless trips hanging out from the bus with just a quarter of my right/left foot on the footboard!!  Of course, you have to ensure that you have got a hold on to the bus by hanging on to the window pane or the door handle😊. Also, you have to ensure that when you re-board, you have taken up more space for your foot than what you had earlier😊.

During my current trip, I couldn’t see a single bus where people hung out!! Later only, when someone remarked it, I came to know that all the DTC buses have automatic doors that the driver closed as soon he starts the vehicle from the bus-stop!!  Now Delhi has A/c buses too.  The doors of the buses get closed so noisily that everyone gets inside the bus in quick time and move away from the doors!!  During earlier days, people used to stand only on the footboard even though there were lots of spaces available inside the bus😊.  

And as before, the conductor gets his own seat and does not move around in the bus😊 Old habits die hard!! Every few minutes he would shout to ask people to buy the tickets.  For buses with doors in front and back, he will be sitting in the back.  And in buses with front and middle doors, he will sit on the seat just behind the middle door.  

Metro – This has just changed the travelling scenario in Delhi and has made the travel that much simpler!!  The Metro card, essentially a wallet-card, can be used in the Metro as well as the DTC buses.  And you get a 10% off on the ticket prices.  During off-time, you can also get 20% discount on the ticket prices.  Metro is so pervasive in Delhi that you can go around Delhi in just Metro and visit all the places.  You may have to use an additional cycle/e-rickshaw to do the last mile connectivity!!

There is also an e-rickshaw that is used for travelling short distances.  This is in addition to the existing cycle rickshaws that are available for short distances.  The e-rickshaw can seat 4 or 6 people at a single time depending on the modifications done to the vehicle. 

Of course, there are autos too.  One auto rickshaw guy told me that it will cost me more to travel in an auto rickshaw than in a taxi like Uber or Ola😊.  And during my current trip to Delhi, the price for auto rickshaw travel was also increased by a few rupees!!

Even though there is traffic on the roads, it is not quite bad as it used to be earlier.  There are several roundabouts that are made in such a way that traffic can simply flow.  Earlier there used to be massive traffic jams at many intersections in Delhi.  Now the traffic is at least moving slowly rather than just being stationary!!   

Cheers until next time!!

Today’s Daffy Definition

True Musician – One who, when he hears a lady singing in the bath, puts his ear to the keyhole😊