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Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
One out of three Delhi localities lack access to a bus stop. Here's what a study shows
More than 31% of Delhi's neighbourhoods are not within 500 metres of any public bus stop, a recently released transport study has found, pointing to major gaps in the national capital's public transport system — especially in dense settlements where narrow streets prevent regular buses from entering. The study, conducted by the International Council on Clean Transport (ICCT), examines the extent to which different neighbourhoods of a city are served by a bus service and identifies those which have little to no access to public transport. The working paper, titled 'Neighbourhood Public Transit Services: Bus-Based Public Transport Supply in Delhi', makes the case for the introduction of a reliable, short-distance, high-frequency neighbourhood-level bus service. Last week, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had launched 400 electric buses under the Delhi Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) scheme. Last year, then Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, had flagged off trials of a mohalla bus service, under which nine-metre buses, different from the standard 12-metre ones, would ply on Delhi streets to boost last-mile connectivity. The scheme's name was changed to DEVI under the new BJP government. Despite having over 7,800 buses on more than 600 routes operated by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and DIMTS, authors of the study — Bhaumik Gowande and Revanthy Pradeep — found that large parts of the city still remain unserved. The study, which evaluated the level of public transit accessibility by finding out if a neighbourhood has access to public buses within a 500-metre radius, found that 69% of Delhi's built area is within the 500-metre radius of a public bus stop. A city with good public transit access has 85-90% of its built-up areas within the 500-metre radius. Municipal wards like Deoli, Jaitpur, Sangam Vihar A, Mustafabad, Ghonda, Sainik Enclave, Hari Nagar Extension and Prem Nagar have zero buildings within a 500-metre walk of a bus stop. 'Residents in these areas often need to walk distances higher than average to reach the nearest bus stop, exacerbating first- and last-mile connectivity challenges,' the study noted. Among wards with almost all of their residential areas within the walking radius are CR Park, Dilshad Garden, Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, R K Puram and Mongolpuri. To identify gaps and plan new routes, ICCT used route data from DTC and DIMTS, last-mile permit records, and satellite imagery. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis was used to map population density against public transport stops, using a 500-metre buffer as a walkability threshold. Delhi's transport planning has largely focused on long-haul trunk routes and Metro corridors. However, 60% of trips in the city are under 4 km, and 80% are under 6 km, according to previous government studies. One example is Dwarka, where a previous government study found that nearly 18% of Metro users travel within the sub-city itself, suggesting a significant reliance on Metro even for short commutes. The analysis had also revealed that within a 5-km radius, the average trip length in Dwarka is 4.3 km, indicating a substantial demand for short-distance travel. Thus, the ICCT study argues that without local or intra-zonal connectivity, even residents living close to Metro stations struggle to complete their journeys without relying on autos or private vehicles, leading to congestion. Delhi ranked 44th for congestion among 387 cities in the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index. The average speed during rush hours was 24 km/h in 2023, with the average time to cover 10 km increasing to 21 minutes and 40 seconds, a slowdown of 30 seconds compared with the previous year, the study notes. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Centre, Delhi & local bodies working as one team, true strength of a triple-engine govt: CM
In a bid to enhance the last-mile connectivity in the city, the Delhi government on Friday flagged off 400 electric buses under the Delhi Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) scheme. 'The Central government, the Delhi government, and local bodies are working as one team — this is the true strength of a 'triple-engine' government. We are united in our commitment to transform an unorganised Delhi into a better city. Today is a proud moment for all of us as we launch 400 new DEVI electric buses on Delhi's streets,' said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as she inaugurated the buses at an event held in Kushak Nallah Depot in Seva Nagar in New Delhi. She added that DEVI buses are a major step towards addressing the challenge of last-mile connectivity in the Capital. The event was attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State for Road Transport Harsh Malhotra, Delhi ministers Pravesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh, among others. The city will get 2,080 e-buses by the end of this year, the CM asserted. Underlining that 45% of pollution is caused by vehicular emissions, Gupta said, 'The solution cannot only rely on public transport, but private vehicles must also be converted into electric vehicles. To encourage this shift, the Delhi government will soon introduce a new EV policy with attractive rebates and incentives for private vehicle owners.' Last year, the previous Aam Aadmi Party government had launched a trial for Mohalla buses to ensure better connectivity. The BJP, however, after coming to power in February, renamed the Mohalla Bus Service as DEVI buses. 'Delhi has always been blessed with the divine grace of Maa Durga. Despite many disasters and challenges, this city has always stood resilient and continued to grow. It is in the honour of this spirit of faith and strength that we have named these new electric buses DEVI,' said the CM. The electric buses are equipped with advanced features like CCTV cameras, a live tracking system, and panic buttons. The buses also have facilities for the differently-abled.
