100 Commonwealth Games kiosks by August

About 100 tourist information kiosks will be set up by August in the city ahead of the Commonwealth Games in October.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will set run them on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

'These information kiosks, numbering at least 100, will be put up at every Games venue and tourist spots like Red Fort, India Gate and Qutub Minar,' said a senior official of MCD.

MCD has decided to sell from these kiosks items like chocolate replicas of the Qutub Minar, Old Delhi's famous jalebi-shaped earrings and T-shirts with messages like 'Welcome to Delhi', 'Commonwealth Games 2010', 'Delhi-Dil Se' and 'I love My Delhi' and T-shirts with pictures of city monuments.

'Apart from this, the kiosks will also have stone replicas of various monuments for sale,' the official said.

The stalls will also have handicraft and handloom items popular in various parts of the country. 'The civic body is in talks with the Handicrafts and Handlooms Exports Corporation of India ,' the official said.

Pamphlets and other information material about the city, historical spots and information on tourist spots like Agra and Jaipur will also be available, he said.

The MCD also plans to use these kiosks for currency exchange, but the civic body is still awaiting a clearance from the central government. The kiosks will also help visitors with taxi and autorickshaw booking.

Each kiosk will be 10 feet by 10 feet in size and its front will be made of glass. It will also have a solar panel on top to generate electricity.

The side panel of the kiosk will carry information about tourist spots. The kiosks will be in place by the first week of August and will be removed soon after the Commonwealth Games.

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.

Room rates to remain flat

Hotel room rates are expected to remain flat at last year's levels during 2010-11, despite some moderate increases planned by industry players for the October season, coinciding with Commonwealth Games. One of the reasons for this is the new room supply to be added during the next one year, which will keep occupancy and room rates for the industry under pressure.

According to a Crisil report, the industry closed 2009-10 at average room rate (ARR) of Rs 9,255 (pan-India) for premium hotels, with an occupancy rate at 63.9% during the period. Room supply is expected to grow at a compounded average gross rate (CAGR) of 10% during 2009-10 and 2011-12, resulting in the addition of over 7,000 rooms.

Among all cities, Bangalore was the worst impacted with a drop of 33% in ARRs during 2009-10 to an estimated Rs 8,231 from Rs 12,227 last year. The city is mainly driven by business travel and, of late, has been seen as overrated. This year, Bangalore is expected to see some recovery in rates on the back of improved business environment. Crisil forecasts an ARR of Rs 8,378 for Bangalore for 2010-11.

Industry players are expecting a rise of just around 10% in room rates for the peak season and feel the current summer season will be a tough one for the industry.

“The summer season will be a difficult one for the industry due to the additional supply that comes in, that too, this being the first summer season after the financial crisis," said Trident Hotels president Rattan Keswani.

He added that sentiments in the market are strong and October season is expected to bring back the confidence into the market.

"Though it would not be as strong as in 2006-07, it will be good enough," he said. Hotel Leelaventure senior vice-president Rajiv Kaul adds: "The fourth quarter of 2009-10 has ended on a high note and we expect rates to be at sustainable levels."

He added that there will be a 10-15% revision in rates by hoteliers in October, the peak season.

Typically, the hotel industry revises rates every October, but last year, many players had shied away from revising peak season rates as occupancies were at low levels.

For the first three months of 2010, foreign arrivals have seen strong growth with January showing 17% growth, February 10% and March 13%. This is over a drop of 17% in January 2009, 10% in February'09 and 8% in March'09. Ministry of tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee has said that the forex earning has grown by 15% during January-March.

Commonwealth Games TV rights fetch $60 million

The 2010 Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee on Friday said they have sure commitment of US $60 million revenue from television rights.

The Commonwealth Organizing Committee in a statement mentioned that they had predicted a revenue of $40 million from selling television rights, but they have already managed $60 million.

"We have crossed our target and we are going to touch $60 million by selling television rights. We have struck a good deal with broadcasters in Australia and Britain by sorting out the timing of the disciplines which are popular in these countries," Kalmadi said.

Earlier in a report, government of India indicated that Commonwealth Games will be revenue-neutral event and may make slight profit as well. The 2010 Commmonwealth Games Organizing committee is confident that they can repay $2.6 billion aide that it has got from the government.

Four major revenue streams for 2010 CWG will be through sponsorship, TV rights, merchandising and ticket sales.

London idea: Double decker buses before Commonwealth Games

The commonwealth games, to be held next year has become boon for the national capital, as various departments and pumping funds for infrastructural development.

Delhi can expect to have its own hop-on-hop-off heritage tourist bus service modeled on the lines of the London counterpart. Delhi government has proposed to introduce specially designed double-decker buses, which will be run on tailor-made routes taking tourists not just to monuments but also museums, shopping venues, theater and even typical Indian weddings for the foreign clientele.

The buses will be luxury coaches with large window panes to enable a clear view of the city from every seat. To make them attractive, they will be painted in bright colors and the exteriors will be designed by professionals to reflect the character of the tours on offer. Every bus will have a guide on board to keep the visitors updated on the sites as they pass by.

In a joint collaboration between Delhi Tourism and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), the government is eager to introduce these buses before the Commonwealth Games kick off in October. But the service is not just aimed at the foreign tourists expected in Delhi during the Games. The government is also targeting the average Delhiite who can take a hop-on hop-off tour in place of going to a cinema or a restaurant, which officials said will also take away the burden of parking and planning. The routes are being chalked out by Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and Shahjahanabad Development Corporation, and Intach will also provide trained guides and printed literature to be available on board.

The concept of hop-on-hop-off popular in European countries, has buses running on predefined routes at regular intervals. Tourists can choose a route and board any bus. They will have the option of getting off at a place of their interest on the way and have the choice of taking any of the later buses on the same route. The ticket will have day-long validity. ‘‘The idea came from a meeting on heritage sites and walks. Intach had suggested we should have these kind of buses specifically for tourists so that they can walk around sites and cover a larger number of heritage areas and other places of interest,’’ said chief secretary Rakesh Mehta.

The tourism department has started work on identifying themes for the tours and so far identified Mughal, Colonial, Independent India and Mehrauli area. Said Reena Ray, MD, Delhi Tourism: ‘‘DTC will provide the buses and we will take care of the tourist and culture part. Each tour will be a full day package with its share of monuments, shopping, and places of interest like Dilli Haat and then culminate with a theatre performance in the evening. There is even a suggestion to introduce a typical Indian wedding in the schedule for foreigners but the main focus will be heritage.

DTC, meanwhile, is scouting for the perfect double-decker bus for the service. Currently all the double-decker buses run on diesel, but Delhi is interested in a CNG variant. There are issues regarding where the cylinders will be accommodated in the bus design. Also, the model needs to suit Delhi's climatic conditions and dust in the city.

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.

Queen's Baton begins its epic journey

The relay, which has been the curtain raiser to every Commonwealth Games since 1958, began when the Queen Elizabeth II entrusted the baton containing her message to the President of India.

The baton will appear at various high-profile sporting events and pass through all of the Commonwealth nations before arriving in Delhi in a journey that will cover 190,000 kilometers in 336 days.

Dame Kelly Holmes, Commonwealth Games England President, said: "Excitement is now building towards the Games in Delhi next year and the Queen's Baton Relay is one of the longest standing traditions of the Commonwealth Games.

"The Baton's journey symbolize the unity and shared ideals of the Commonwealth Nations.

The baton, packed with high-tech cameras, sound-recorders and LED lights all made in India, contains a message to the athletes from the queen that will be opened and read out at the launch of the Games in New Delhi Oct 3.

The baton will traverse the length and breadth of the Commonwealth for 240 days before arriving in India, where it will launch into a 100-day national tour, going through all the states and union territories.

After a colorful performance of Indian music and dance on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace Thursday, the baton was passed in turn from the Queen to Patil, to Sports Minister M.S. Gill, Games Organizing Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, and finally to the 14 athletes who began the baton relay.

Running with the baton outside the Palace in central London were shooter Abhinav Bindra, former British runner Sebastian Coe, former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev, tennis star Sania Mirza, 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh, British runner Kelly Holmes, England cricketer Monty Panesar, boxer Vijender Kumar, squash player Misha Soni, wrestler Sushil Kumar, British wheelchair table tennis player Susan Gilroy, weighlifter Karnam Malleshwari, hockey star Dilip Tirkey and decathlete Gurbachan Singh Randhawa.

They were cheered by hundreds of people who lined the gates of Buckingham Palace.

The baton was carried to the Queen Victoria Memorial and The Mall in central London, before making its way to Trafalgar Square.

The baton's journey will take in some of the most remote places in the Commonwealth, including the British-administered territory of St. Helena - accessible only by boat - and the Falkland Islands.

It will enter India from the Attari border with Pakistan June 25 before starting on a journey of 28 States and seven union territories, covering a distance of over 20,000 km.

The relay will end at the opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Oct 3, where athletes will be read out the Queen's message, engraved on a miniature 18-carat gold leaf representing the ancient Indian 'patra' - currently locked in a jewelery box inside the baton.

Delhi: City of flyovers

Promising world class road infrastructure in the national capital during next year's Commonwealth Games, chief minister Sheila Dikshit today said visitors of the showpiece event will remember Delhi as a city of flyovers.

Addressing a function after formally dedicating two new flyovers at South Delhi, Dikshit said she was confident of completing all the road infrastructure projects well in time which will provide uninterrupted connectivity in the city.

"There would be a signal-free road from Nehru Place to IGI Airport by November this year as a third flyover on Outer Ring Road will be commissioned next month," Dikshit said.

She dedicated two flyovers to Delhiites -- one at the Africa Avenue and Aruna Asaf Ali Marg intersection and the other one at the Rao Tula Ram Marg and Benito Juarez Marg intersection.

"We are confident that the visitors during the Games would be able to carry a good impression about the city," she said adding that they will remember Delhi as city of flyovers.

Noting that hosting such a prestigious international sports event has provided an excellent opportunity to the city to undertake a large number of developmental works, she said her government was gearing up to offer the best facilities to its visitors.

Dikshit also said Delhi would become the first city in the world to have highest number of CNG low-floor buses during the Games as the fleet strength of these buses will be 3,500 by March 2010.

The city government has undertaken a comprehensive exercise to install modern street lights, improve roads and enhance greening, including giving the underneath of flyovers an attractive look, she said.

The flyovers have unique feature such as noise barriers, concrete pavement over its entire length for maintenance free and enhanced service life.

Spurcing up Delhi's Heritage

What happens when one of the most arcaeologically rich cities hosts a sporting event second only to the Olympics? Tourists get twice the fun for the price of one. While attending Commonwealth Games 2010, they can slip out any time to visit any of the 1,200 heritage monuments this city has to offer.

With as many as three world heritage sites — the Qutab Minar complex, Humayun’s Tomb complex and Red Fort complex — to boast of, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is getting ready to showcase the legacy of the Capital during the Games.

Of the 175 ASI-protected monuments, work has begun on sprucing up 46 of them.

"These monuments are mostly important ones like the world heritage sites and also those on the routes of Games venues. The list also includes a few lesser known monuments,” said KN Shrivastava, ASI director-general.

Conservation and/or repair work will be carried out at most monuments. For instance, the Tughlaqabad Fort wall and the Siri Fort wall are being restored to their original glory.

The ASI is carrying out chemical treatment at a few monuments that need cleaning up. “The residents and regular visitors to the Hauz Khas area are witness to how the black colour on most of the monuments due to moss has given way to a clean sandstone yellow (or the original colour of the monuments) after chemical treatment,” said an ASI official.

“The landscape around helps build its ambience. So we are focusing on environmental development like lawns and other horticulture interventions,” said an official from the horticulture branch.

Tourists can also enjoy ‘Delhi at Night’. India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has identified more than 20 monuments and these are being lighted up by ITDC.

While the world heritage sites have basic public utilities like toilets and drinking water, they aren’t available at all 46 monuments. Plans are afoot to provide these facilities at all of them. Uniform brown stone signage would also come up at all sites.

“The additional facilities would include publication counters that will have brochures telling the history of the place, audio guides, cafeterias and the like as available at the three world heritage sites,” said another ASI official.

Source: Topnews.in

Delhi Metro: Delhi-Noida link operational by Dec 2010

Amongst criticism from various sources regarding lack of preparation regarding games, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Friday said its Delhi-Noida section will be operational by the end of 2009. This is important as the Games site is close to the NCR city of Noida.

DMRC also confirmed that the remaining sections of the second phase would be completed by next year with the airport line slated for a September opening ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“The metro on Yamuna Bank to Noida section is likely to start by the first week of December this year. The opening of the section depends on the delivery of trains, which are likely to come by November,” E. Sreedharan, DMRC managing director, told reporters here.

The 13.1 km elevated Yamuna Bank-Noida stretch, with 10 stations, will be an extension of the existing Dwarka Sector 9 to Yamuna Bank section.

Seven trains will be required to open the section which will be made available to the DMRC by the end of November 2009. In the meantime, the DMRC is strengthening 11 cantilever pillars in Noida, on which cracks were observed during safety audits, Sreedharan said.

The DMRC chief was speaking on the occasion of commissioning its new broad gauge train on the Central Secretariat-Jahangirpuri line. Two more new trains by German company Bombardier will be commissioned for the same line in two weeks to ease congestion.

Sreedharan said DMRC’s next priority would be to open the Yamuna Bank-Anand Vihar section by December or January 2010.

Asked about the reason for the delay, Sreedharan said: “Trains were being double checked before delivery so that safety could be ensured.”

This, he said, could be the reason behind some of the delays in opening. “Bombardier has gathered a team of foreign experts to see that the trains are attended and delivered as soon as possible. Of the 83 metro trains procured from the company, 14 have already arrived and the rest will come from the company’s factory near Baroda, Gujarat,” he said.

The much-awaited Noida corridor will be the first metro rail project connecting the NCR. Once operational, it will be the longest line (58 km) of the Delhi metro, directly connecting Dwarka Sector 9 to Noida City Centre in Sector 32.

Adding that the DMRC was “getting ready to open new sections”, Sreedharan said the other line connecting NCR to the Qutub Minar-Gurgaon section would be opened by March 2010.

In addition, work on the Inderlok-Mundka section would be completed by November 2009 and the standard gauge line would be opened by January end or early February 2010.

On the Central Secretariat to Qutub Minar section, station finishing work and fitments were underway and the section would be opened in July 2010, Sreedharan said.

Meanwhile, the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line which was five months behind schedule and suffered a major setback after the July 12 construction site accident would open in August 2010.

Sreedharan also said the last section in phase II - the Airport Express Line - would open in September 2010 and concessionaire Reliance Energy had started installing systems.

The Delhi Metro presently operates three popular lines connecting the northern, central, eastern and southwestern parts of Delhi. Around 950,000 commuters daily use the network, covering a total of 190 km.

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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.

Commonwealth Games 2010: Bamboo Curtains

As is case with any aspiring nation, low cost dwellings and slums are part of Indian metros. The disparity in income of those who have broken shackles and those who have just unearthed the secret, drive later to the economic hubs. The price they pay for their aspirations is a compromise of living standards, resulting in mushrooming slums. Delhi is NO DIFFERENT..!!

Low cost dwellings simply represent a class of economic transition which is making an attempt for better future. However, it sometimes present not so pretty picture. So what's the solution..!! Well, you certainly can't remove it. How about covering it and presenting a slightly better picture..!! The same can be seen in the plans of the government which is preparing enthusiastically for commonwealth games.

Realizing that uprooting slum clusters from all over the capital and rehabilitating its inhabitants is not a pragmatic solution, Delhi government has decided to screen the not-so-welcoming sights from the many visitors expected for the event.

Similar moves were made in Beijing during last year’s Olympics when screens were put up before not so pretty sections of the city which the authorities did not want the millions of visitors to China to see. Giant screens are also seen in several cities in Latin America to block out ugly sights from visitors.

However, living the theme of GREEN Games, Delhi's approach is innovative yet simple. The department of agriculture has decided to plant bamboo trees which can be used to screen the shanties and slums on the roadside of all those routes through which the Commonwealth convoy is expected to go.

Numerous preparations are under way to make the event a success giving all flyovers an aesthetic look, improving connectivity, increasing room availability, rehabilitating dwellers away from the Games site. It seems, Delhi is focussed on addressing as many issues as possible. Bamboo screening is one such innovative and practical approach.

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 Metro to be ready for 2010 Commonwealth Games!

Delhi Metro chief E. Sreedharan has committed that all their projects would be completed before the Commonwealth Games next year.

DMRC confirmed that recent mishap will not have any delay whatsoever on the overall completion of the Delhi Metro projects. Ongoing Phase-II of the Delhi Metro will provide easy Metro connectivity to 10 of the 11 venues of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Delhi Metro is currently operating on various routes totalling 70 km across Delhi.

Recent assertion from the Metro management comes as a good news for foreign and domestic tourists planning to visit India on the occasion of commonwealth games. The ride to different games venues will be smoother and tourists will be traveling in a truly world class mode of transport.

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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Camping at Commonwealth Games 2010

India's Ministry of Tourism has informed that they will explore the possibilities for tent accommodation in Delhi during 2010 Commonwealth Games. The decision is taken partly to make the games more exciting for spectators and also considering estimated shortfall of hotel rooms required for the tourists during the Commonwealth Games 2010 in the National Capital Region (NCR) . According to sources, discussions were held recently at the last tourism stakeholders meeting.

Representatives of the hotel associations have asked the Ministry to set up luxury tents as an alternative mode of accommodation. A few luxury tent operators from Pushkar, Rajasthan have shown interest and have approached the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). The tent operators want to set up tents if suitable land is available for a one-month period.

However, sources revealed that, representatives of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as well as Urban Development Ministry have not taken up the proposal officially under the pretext that suitable land may not be available in Delhi for camping. At the same time, Keshni Anand Arora, Secretary, Haryana Tourism has evinced interest in the proposal and agreed to explore suitable land for the same in Gurgaon.

Commonwealth Games 2010

Host city: New Delhi, India 
Motto: "COME OUT AND PLAY"
Nations participating: 72 Commonwealth Teams
Athletes participating: TBA
Events: 17 disciplines  Queen's Baton Relay: 29 October 2009

Opening ceremony: 03 October 2010
Closing ceremony: 14 October 2010

Click here to know more about history of Commonwealth Games.