500 additional buses for Delhi before CWG

The Delhi High Court Wednesday gave the green signal to the Delhi government and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to include 500 low-floor buses from the manufacturers Ashok Leyland after they recorded before the court that the new fleet of buses was of the highest standard.

Now the fleet would be used during the Commonwealth Games and would fill the vacuum created by the sudden pullout of 1,600 Blueline buses from Delhi roads. 'Bus supplier will be liable even in case of any problem or in case of third party claims,' said the bench comprising Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Reva Khetrapal.

The CBI had registered a case against Ashok Leyland for supplying sub-standard buses to the Delhi government. After this a showcause notice was issued to the manufacturer by DTC asking why the contract should not be cancelled. The case was registered after a series of mishaps took place in the capital in which several low-floor buses of Ashok Leyland caught fire.

'They have assured that the new buses are safe and even rendered an indemnity bond (taking full financial and other risks for any eventuality). The court was kind enough to allow the buses to be part of the existing fleet,' said Sumit Pushkara, standing counsel for the DTC.

The Delhi government and DTC informed the Delhi High Court Tuesday that they had 'cracked the whip' on one of the bus manufacturers, Ashok Leyland, following which the latter has certified that a fleet of 500 buses made by it meet the highest safety standard.

Informing the bench of Justice Sikri and Justice Khetrapal, standing counsels for the government and DTC, Najmi Waziri and Sumeet Pushkarna said there is an urgent need to put this fleet of 500 buses on the city roads in view of the removal of Bluelines.

'Park & Ride' or 'Park & Walk' to CWG venues

Spectators can either walk or take a shuttle service to Commonwealth Games venues after parking their vehicles, with around 30 spots finalised as 'Park and Ride' and 'Park and Walk' facilities by Delhi Police. "Our personnel will be deployed at all the venues to guide the visitors. Park and Ride facilities will be made available at two to three kilometres from the main venue and Park and Walk facilities at less than a kilometre," Special Commissioner (Traffic) Ajay Chadha.

Buses will be run to ferry visitors to venues from the parking lots as well as metro stations. Entry and exit points have also been identified at each of the parking lots.

Personal vehicles will be issued parking labels before the event which will enable spectators to take their cars to the parking lots. No vehicle without the parking label will be allowed inside the parking lots.

As many as 1,485 cars, 275 vans and 2,474 buses will be pressed into service to ferry VIPs, officials, athletes, mediapersons, volunteers and spectators to and from the venues.

The transportation service has been graded into five tiers: 485 dedicated cars have been set apart for VIPs; 1,000 shared cars for 3,000 Games officials' family members; 349 air-conditioned buses for athletes; 125 AC buses for mediapersons and 100 for technical officials; and 1,900 buses to be operated by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for volunteers, spectators and the Games workforce.

An additional 275 vans will be deployed at the Games Village for the use of athletes.

The opening and closing ceremonies are expected to be attended by 72,000 people at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Seventy percent of the people are expected to come by the Metro but parking facilities for 10,000 vehicles have been created for the ceremonies.

Following is the list of 31 spots:

Park and Ride:

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

• Lodhi Road
• Central School Ground in Andrews Ganj (300 vehicles)
• Safdarjung airport (2,500)
• Bhairon Marg (650)
• Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Complex, IP Estate
• Fly ash pond near power house project (500)
• Feroz Shah Kotla (600)
• Shanti Van (200)

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium near India Gate

• Lawns between Rafi Marg and Janpath (Both sides of Rajpath) (1,500)
• Modern School, Barakhamba (500)
• Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Aquatics Centre and Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Mother Teresa Crescent Road
• NDMC Multi-storey parking (1,200)
• Bhai Veer Singh Marg (300)

Thyagraj Sports Complex

• Safdarjung Airport (2,500)

RK Khanna Sports Complex, Africa Avenue, Safdarjung Enclave

• Hauz Khas Sports Complex to NCC ground on Choudhary Har Sukh Marg
• Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, Surajkund Road, Tughlakabad Fort
• Vacant plot near Vayu Sena Vikas flats on MB Road to Kant Enclave, Faridabad.

The facilitiy for Park and Ride at Delhi University Sports Complex, Yamuna sports Complex and Sirifort Sports Complex is still to be finalised.

Park and Walk

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

• Deta School Ground, Max Mueller Marg (400)
• Sister Nivedita Sarvodaya School Ground, Lodhi Colony (500)
• Blind School Ground (220)
• DPS Mathura Road Ground (400)

IGI Stadium Complex, IP Estate

• Ash Pond near Rajghat (600)

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium near India Gate

• Behind Rajpath Lawns between C Hexagon and Mansingh Road (1,500)
• Bhairav Rao Marg (200)

Dr SPM Aquatics Centre and Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Mother Teresa Crescent Road

• Kali Bari Marg (150),
• Udhyan Marg Central School
• Mandir Marg

Delhi University

• Vishwavidyalaya Marg

Thyagraj Sports Complex, Africa Avenue, Safdarjung Enclave

• Vacant plot on Brig Hoshiarsingh Marg

Yamuna Sports Complex, Surajmal Vihar, East Delhi

• Ground opposite Vivek Vihar Police Station (1,500)

Siri Forts Complex, August Kranti Marg, Khel Gaon

• Central School, Sadiq Nagar (400)
• Ground behind Central School, Sadiq Nagar (700)
• Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Sadiq Nagar (400)

RK Khanna Sports Complex, Africa Avenue, Safdarjung Enclave

• Hauz Khas sports complex (optional)

Dr Karni Singh shooting Range, Surajkund Road, Tughlakabad Fort

• Parking along the Adilabad Fort, MB Road (2,000)

5 Tier transportation plan for Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) on Monday unveiled its plan for the transportation of its athletes, officials, their family members, mediapersons, VIPs and technical officials, which will total up to 15,000 people, excluding volunteers and spectators.

For that purpose, there will be a dedicated five-tier transport system, some of which will be operational September onwards.

T1 and T2 will be car services. While the first one will ferry top Games officials, T2 will be services that can be booked in advance by officials and their family members through a 24/7 call centre. The transportation services will be carried out jointly by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Tata Motors. The latter will be supplying a fleet of brand new 1,800 cars and SUVs, back-up services, 3,000 drivers and supporting staff which will be deployed at venues and depots.

“Transport is the backbone of the Games and we have to put in place a huge network comprising buses and cars,” OC secretary general Lalit Bhanot told the media at the Games headquarters.

Tata has signed an agreement with the OC and the total cost of the service would be Rs 34 crore. Of that, the OC will reimburse Rs 10 crore by way of drivers’ salary, fuel and management, while the rest would be raised through sponsorship.

The T3 and T4 categories would consist of fully air-conditioned buses from the DTC. Under T3, 349 buses will be used to ferry the athletes to and from the venues during the event, including the days of opening and closing ceremonies. Twenty-five routes have already been identified for the purpose. Forty buses have space for five wheelchairs each.

Mediapersons and technical teams will be using the T4 service. 125 AC buses will ply on 14 routes to take them to and from venues. “All CWG buses would be exempted from using speed governors during the Games. We approached the authorities concerned regarding this and they have agreed,” OC Special Director General G G Thomas, who was also present on the occasion, said.

There will be three depots, one at Vinay Marg, one near Akshardham Mandir and the third at Ravindra Rangshala, which is close to Talkatora Stadium. The Games Village will have three separate sets of lanes in which each lane will have cars going to a particular venue.

“We will have enough provisions to handle any untoward incident like car breakdowns. Besides, all drivers have been given instructions about what to do in case of any eventuality, including a terror attack,” Thomas added.

Other public transport systems, including DTC and special Metro services would come under the last category. All drivers will be given communication radio sets, while every car would be fitted with Global Positioning Systems by which their movement would be tracked.

Congestion charge for Delhiites

Delhi seems to be preparing in full swing for the Commonwealth games. The modernisation of police including the introduction of the mini robot, going green, improved infrastructure and now it is the drive to reduce congestion on roads.

In a bid to reduce the congestion on certain roads to make them congestion free, the government will now charge the commuters for travelling in the congested roads of the city. The trend already exists in Europe where they have a Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ). It helps reduce congestion and also increases funds for the transport system.

Speaking at a discussion on 'Clean air before the Commonwealth Games' at the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi Environment secretary Dharmendra said, "The Delhi Transport department is working out a plan to levy a fee on motorists driving in the congested areas of the capital before the Games. The step would help in controlling number of vehicles in busy areas during the sporting event. There has been a quantum jump in the number of vehicles plying on roads in the capital in the last few years and such steps can help in checking inflow of vehicles on Delhi roads."

Managing traffic during the upcoming Commonwealth Games is a big challenge for the Delhi government. The Delhi Traffic police is also planning to have dedicated lanes during the Games for swift movement of athletes and delegates.

CWG: Elaborate security plan for Participants

Organizers of the Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a smooth and secure ride for international athletes, support staff and the media.

Right from the time they land here to the time they fly back, elaborate plans have been drawn up by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) to take care of athletes during the Oct 3-14 event.

The CGOC is leaving nothing to chance after reports from private security experts scared sportspersons from Australia, England and New Zealand, saying they would be going to India at their own risk.

Jiji Thomson, the Kerala cadre IAS officer who holds a pivotal position in the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee, said things have more or less fallen in place and the security agencies have an impeccable blueprint to protect athletes and officials as they move around the city.

"Keeping in mind all the concerns, everything has been planned to the minutest possible detail. After the athletes arrive at the recently renovated Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), they would be taken to the Games Village near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi through air-conditioned low-floor CNG buses."

The security agencies, CGOC and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) would be working in close coordination at the airport and there would be a dedicated parking area for the Games vehicles at IGIA to avoid traffic glitches.

"Every bus carrying athletes would be accompanied by a well-equipped security vehicle to ensure its safety. There would be dedicated traffic lanes for the Games vehicles," Thomson said.

A transport hub is coming up near the Millennium Park for the Commonwealth Games vehicles and a transport mall at the Village.

"There will be a 24X7 control room manned by traffic police, DTC officials and CGOC volunteers and they will supervise all transport operations through GPS (Global Positioning System)-based vehicle tracking system. And there will also be CCTVs to aid security," he added.

There will also be dedicated buses to carry athletes and team officials to different competition and training venues and back to the Village. Their designated primary routes and secondary routes in emergency have already been identified.

"On the day of the opening and closing ceremonies, nearly 7,500 athletes and support staff would have to be transported to the Jawahalal Nehru Stadium within two to three hours. It will be a gigantic effort and it will be done without a hassle."

Then there are plans to make over 100,000 expected tourists to the Games feel comfortable.

Over 500 buses would be pressed into service to cater to an estimated 7,500 athletes and their support staff, 1,250 technical officials and 3,000 mediapersons and broadcasters. They will all use dedicated buses.

For mediapersons, a shuttle bus service would be available from their hotels to the various venues and to the main Press Centre and the International Broadcasting Centre at Pragati Maidan.

CGOC has also earmarked hundreds of limousines, sedans, SUVs and other swanky vehicles for the Games VIPs who include senior officials of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the CGOC.

"These cars will probably be sponsored by the automobile manufacturers and we are in discussions with them," Thomson said.

The CGOC has also devised a 'Vehicle Access and Parking Permit Scheme' (VAPPS) to control all vehicle access and parking entitlement during the Commonwealth Games.

"At the end of it all, the arrangements will be to everyone's satisfaction and nothing will go wrong for want of effort," said a confident Thomson.

Shooters have already dispelled the fears, describing the security cover provided to them in two words - "best ever"! The shooters at the Commonwealth championship are impressed with the impregnable four-layer security ring the athletes will have at all the venues during the Games, starting with an outer level, then middle, then inner and finally the exclusive.

Delhi bus drivers learning English

Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus drivers are being trained in English to welcome foreign tourists during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This training is being given as part of New Delhi's initiatives to act as perfect hosts for the event.

"One thing is for sure our country comes first in welcoming guests. Indians are great hosts. I also have a part to play to show the world how good hosts we can be. I would be the Indian brand ambassador," said a bus driver.

Over 5000 DTC drivers and conductors are being given lessons and trained in soft skills.

"When they will arrive we'll say 'Welcome to India' and would welcome them. When they will travel in our bus, we would say 'Please take your seat.' And, if they need any help, we'll say, 'may I help you Sir? This way, we will welcome them," said another bus driver.

Nearly 100,000 tourists are expected to arrive in Delhi next October to witness the two-week long games.

DTC is thus overhauling its bus fleet for the visitors.

"We'll have to think that as drivers and conductors, they are very good in their field. They just have an inferiority complex from which we have to bring them out and need to bring them in to mainstream of the society. So we are trying that they become a bit confident in speaking English language," said Director, training requirement and education programme, DTC.

Nearly 6,000 new DTC buses will be introduced by 2010 to ease commuting of which many will be low-floor, high capacity and air-conditioned.

Commonwealth Games = No Cars + Free ride?

The issue of providing transport for spectators to the 2010 Commonwealth Games venues is getting knotty. While Delhi Police has suggested banning the use of private vehicles during the event, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee has requested for free services by public transport agencies like the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Metro (Video: Delhi Metro).

Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta has convened a high-level meeting with all stakeholders — including the DTC, Delhi Metro (Watch Video here), Transport Department, Organising Committee and Finance Department — to resolve the issue on Monday.

Sources in the Government disclosed that Delhi Police has suggested imposition of restrictions on private vehicles in view of problems related to security, traffic and parking. “The spectators should use public transport to reach the venues,” a note by the Delhi Police suggests. Maintaining free flow of vehicles and parking are the main problems facing the traffic police since there clearly aren't enough parking spots available. Also, more the number of vehicles, more personnel would be needed to manage the traffic.

With over 60 lakh vehicles jostling for space every day on the Capital’s congested roads, ensuring free flow of traffic during the sporting extravaganza can prove to be an uphill task. The traffic police has drawn up a comprehensive plan, mapping out the movement of each category of city residents, to ensure there are no bottlenecks.

As per the plan, several roads leading up to important venues like Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held; and Games Village will be cordoned off for all traffic. Only labelled vehicles will be allowed to use these roads and the traffic police is drawing up alternative routes for general traffic. Traffic movement will also be restricted in busy areas around the venues. For instance, those working at CGO Complex (near Nehru Stadium) will have to take either the Metro or park their vehicles at Lodhi Road and avail the park-and-ride service. All vehicles on Delhi’s roads have been divided into three categories - normal traffic, Games traffic and VVIP movement.

Meanwhile, DTC has opposed the organising committee suggestion of providing free services for spectators. “If DTC provides free services, it will incur a loss of over Rs 20 crore. Its financial condition is not very sound to bear such losses,” said sources. The events would be held at over a dozen stadia across the city.

According to sources, the organising committee doesn’t seem keen to support DTC financially. Sources said DTC has agreed to provide a 20 per cent concession on tickets and the Delhi Metro has flatly refused free ridership. The DTC would provide 554 buses with a wheelchair and 20 buses with four wheelchairs, as requested by the organising committee.

Delhi metro to provide better facilities

Delhi Metro is undergoing a change in order to improve the travelling conditions for its commuters. Ranked already as world-class transport system, Delhi Metro wants to improve the services further.

Metro launched in Delhi a few years back has become the main transport service provider. With around 70 Kms operational, government is planning to add another 100 kilometers within next one year.

The new trains brought for Phase II have several improved features like CCTV cameras with eight-hour backup for added security, charging points in all coaches for cell phones and laptop, improved air-conditioning to provide a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius even in packed conditions and heaters for winter. The present trains only have ACs.

With the network spreading, the new trains will have external display boards indicating the final destination stations and digital route maps on each door inside train with lights to indicate the present station, route covered and final stop for all trains in different colored lights. The noise levels in trains will be reduced and the lighting will also automatically get adjusted as the trains enter and exit tunnels during the day to save power.

Even mechanically, the trains have smoother braking, better acceleration and a higher maximum operational speed of 85 kmph, compared to the present 80 kmph. An insulation mat has been provided on the roof to prevent sparking and tripping caused by strings of kites. The trains also have a better Train Control Management System.

Watch Delhi Metro video here

Delhi Metro commuters can expect relief from the "crushed dense load" conditions in packed trains. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), on Tuesday, got the nod from commissioner of railway safety for new trains manufactured for Phase II. Of these, 13 full train sets of four cars each have already been delivered to DMRC depots and are in the final stages of testing. These will first be put on Line 2 (Central Secretariat to Jehangirpuri) and then Line 3 (Dwarka sector 13 to Anand Vihar/Noida).

The 13 trains, which have already come, have been stabled at Khyber Pass and Yamuna Bank depots. Of these, two trains will be added on Line 2 by October, another 3 trains to Line 3 by November. Eight trains are needed for the Noida line. All these will be four-car train sets and Delhi Metro will introduce the first six-car train set in May 2010.

With Phase II of operations scheduled to start by next year, and the Metro ridership reaching an expected 2 million, the corporation had ordered 424 coaches of broad gauge for 83 trains, 37 with four-cars (coaches) and 46 with six-cars which can carry 1178 and 1792 commuters in "dense load" and "crushed dense load" conditions respectively.

Tourism and Infra to get a boost

The Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in the first two weeks of October 2010, are set to change the face of Delhi and NCR. With approximately a million tourists expected to land in India to watch the grand spectacle, the push will be great for the Indian tourism industry.

Delhi has hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. This is the first time Delhi is playing host to the commonwealth games. Infact, this is only the second time that the games are being held in Asia.

Read article, Delhi: City of flyovers

Not only are the Games going to benefit the Indian tourism industry in a big way, these are also going to boost various job opportunities in sectors like hospitality, travel, aviation, services, who are going to hire more employees in order to handle the large influx of tourists.

There are various challenges in front of Commonwealth games organizing committee like ensuring accommodation requirements. For this the government is considering innovative options like registering Bead and Breakfast service providers, and even considering camping options in NCR to augment the current hotel development projects.

Delhi government is also serious about providing comfortable commute to the visitors. 10 of the 11 Commonwealth Games venue will be linked by Metro in time for the games. City will also have a dedicated Metro line from the airport to Cannaught Place.

A four-lane, 2.2 km underground stretch from Ring Road to Lodhi will link the Games Village to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, reducing traveling time for athletes. The new eight-lane expressway from Gurgaon to Delhi is already functional. Government is in the process of procuring another 1,100 new low floor, high-capacity air-conditioned buses to ease commuting.

Infact, all the efforts being put in by Delhi government are beginning to show results. Today, Delhi has a world class Metro transportation. More than 100 flyovers have come up in last 8 years. Movement at all focal points of Delhi like Dhaula Kuan, AIIMS, and connectivity to NOIDA has been smoothened out. The pollution levels in Delhi are much less than what they were 10 years ago. The city has new GREEN LOOK because of millions of trees planted along the roads. Infact, Green and Pink are the new colours chosen by the government for the city.

All in all, the tourism and infrastructure are set to get a huge boost because of the Games.

Delhi's new Carpool Scheme

Delhi government plans to launch the Pan City Mega Carpool Scheme before the Commonwealth Games 2010.

The ride sharing scheme aims to provide a simple way to encourage car owners to share their vehicles with other car owners, thereby resulting in fewer cars on city roads. It has been proposed to enroll thousands of car owners, subject to verification of their credentials, into a single mega carpool and issue the members secure, smart identity cards as well.

The member cars will be fitted with a special hardware device comprising of a card reader, global positioning system (GPS) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The device can read the smart card based photo identity card of a member, sense the location of the car and transmit this data digitally to a central agency. The rider will only be required to tap the smart ID card at the beginning as well as the end of the ride and all the information regarding the driver and the rider would be sent to the central server. A member of the carpool scheme may give a ride to any of the enrolled members who have a common or along-the-way travel destination. By giving rides, the member will earn mileage points which can be redeemed as cash or family members can avail of them by using the car pools.

According to the transport department, almost 50 to 60 per cent of the road space is used by an estimated two million car owners in Delhi, although they meet just 20 per cent of the commuting demand.

The scheme will ensure safety of the passengers as a central server will keep track of all shared rides, including vehicle number and owner and the time a particular rider boards the car.

The scheme, if successful will augument Delhi's improving public transport infrastructure which includes Metro and BRT scheme. However, it remains to be seen whether Delhi will accept this scheme considering its high crime rate.

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